Under Contract
by Rain Seaker
Summary: Two-shot. Harry smiles at the anachronistic electricity lines and the shinobi appearing from smoke and leafs on top of a roof and decided that he will like this universe.
1. The Contract

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto Universes. Though playing with them is fun.

* * *

**The Contract**

* * *

Harry strolled through the village easily taking in the sights. The road was mostly dirt and the building were wooden in structure, but the anachronistic electricity poles told him he hadn't landed in Earth's past. The bastardized form of Japanese that the people were speaking told him even more. Though it wasn't until he saw a masked man appear in a puff of smoke and leaves that he really started to get excited.

Other universes were the most fun to land in and this one looked to be as interesting as the time he had landed in the Pegasus Galaxy on a city-sized spaceship named Atlantis.

Harry was so caught up in the excitement of a new word that he wasn't really looking where he was going until a speeding brown headed boy crashed into him. Causing the both of them to go tumbling into the ground.

A second brunet boy stood over them laughing loudly.

"You're never going to be a proper shinobi with grace like that, Hiruzen-kun." The boy on top of Harry sprang to his feet the way that only boys his age could.

"Shut up, Danzo." He turned back to Harry and gave the surpised man a deep bow, "Sumimasen."

Harry merely waved away the apology, but before he could respond a shout came from down the street.

"SARUTOBI HIRUZEN!" The middle aged woman that was shouting it appeared to be running down the street faster that Harry would have imagined she could.

"Got to go." The boy named Danzo took off down the street.

"You better get going if you don't want her to catch you." Harry told the boy still standing over him looking worried. Hiruzen tossed a worried look over one shoulder and gave one last grateful nod to Harry before racing away.

Harry had almost picked himself off the ground when the boy's mother appeared in front of him.

"Young man, I must apologize for my idiot son's actions." She glared in the direction he ran and Harry couldn't help the smile that widened on his face. He hadn't been called a young man in a very long time and it never ceased to make him pleased.

"No problem, ma'am. Boys will be boys." Harry smiled at the worn down woman who had pink paint splattered on her front. The woman glanced where he was looking and blushed.

"That boy." She muttered under her breath and Harry couldn't help but laugh. She gave one last longing look down the street that the boys ran down, but then just sighed and slumped a little. "He'll have to come home eventually." She turned her gaze to Harry and his dirty clothes. "Please, let me compensate you. My home isn't far away and I think we both need a good shower."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm Harry. It's a pleasure to meet you." Harry gave a small bow that he had seen others doing while walking around

The woman smiled at him and returned his bow. "My name is Sarutobi Misuo, the pleasure is all mine." She turned around and they started walking together down the street. "Ha-hari? That's a strange name."

Harry shrugged slightly. "It's the only one I've ever had." Which wasn't quite true, but was true enough for this conversation. "I'm actually new in town."

"Really?" She looked surprised and excited. "We don't get many foreign visitors around here. It's nice to see a new face in Konoha." Finally, a name for the place he had landed.

"Well, I'm a traveler by nature, always ending up where the universe places me." This was more true than she would probably ever know. She gave him a queer look.

"That's a curious way of looking at things. So you don't intend to stay long?" Harry could hear a bit of suspicion in her voice.

"Just long enough to get my feet under me." Which was true and false. The jump usually sent him to the place that needed him the most, which meant that whatever he was doing here would probably have something to do with the city. However, Harry had learned long ago that it was important to travel around wherever he ended up. He needed to gain the big picture of the world he had landed in and he couldn't do that in one city. "I am looking for some information though."

"What kind?" The voice was definitely a little colder now. Harry gave a small laugh at her paranoid nature.

"Nothing too big. I just wanted to know about a man. See, I saw a man appear on a rooftop a couple streets back in a swirl of smoke and leaves. Just wondering if that kind of thing is normal?" Misuo looked at him weirdly again.

"I should think so, this is a shinobi village after all."

Yeah, I heard that word earlier. What does it mean?" Misuo stopped in the middle of the street and stared at him shocked.

"Where are you from?" Harry merely smiled at her, far too used to these kind of questions.

"Far, far away. I'm just passing through really, but I don't really know much about this place."

"Then how did you end up here?"

"It was a mess up with a... well, how do I explain." He thought to himself for a moment. "What was that man doing? How did he appear suddenly on that rooftop?"

"A...jutsu?" The woman filled in for him.

"Yes, that's it. I messed up a jutsu." Harry nodded and smiled at her. She was still staring had him suspiciously though.

"How could you know a jutsu, you don't even know what a shinobi is."

"Yes, well..." Harry paused. "I read it somewhere?" He gave the crap excuse with a smile. She wouldn't understand if he tried to explain and he had no intention of spending hours talking to her about it.

"You read a jutsu on a scroll and tried to do it?" She asked exasperated at him.

"Yes, that's exactly it." Harry nodded enthusiastically, gratefully taking the excuse. Misuo just shook her head and started walking again.

"Shinobi are ninjas. This is a ninja hidden village in the Land of Fire." This time it was Harry that stopped her. He turned her around suddenly excited.

"Ninja? This is a _ninja_ village?" She nodded at him confused again. Harry couldn't contain the laughter of joy that escaped him, this was definitely more interesting than Atlantis. To think that there was a universe somewhere with ninja villages and he had somehow ended up in it was astounding. "How exciting."

"I guess?" Misuo said slowly and reminded Harry that she was still standing next to him.

"My apologizes, I didn't mean to get so carried away. Ninja are kind of a scare quantity where I come from. It was just a happy surprise, is all."

Misuo nodded in agreement. "That I can understand a little. So many children get caught up in the excitement of the idea of being a ninja that they don't really think about the sacrifices that have to be made. Sasuke, my husband, is still in the ranks of active shinobi, but I retired when Hiruzen showed up. I thought having two parents in danger of dying on the job might be a little too stressful for him." She sighed a little. "Unfortunately, he is taking after the both of us. It's all he talks about these days - being a shinobi. It's all the worse for us that he seems to be particularly skilled at it. I keep thinking that we won't make another year before he is pulled into the ranks."

Harry looked at her shocked. "But he can't be older that six." He was even more confused when she nodded.

"Indeed, they are taking them younger and younger these days, and there are rumors circulating about a war. It's all very quiet though - these things usually are in the shinobi world, until they aren't of course." She turned down a street and lead him to the door of a well-kept average sized house. "This is us."

She smiled a little as she opened the door. She took off her shoes and invited him to do the same. Harry smiled at the novelty of the action. It wasn't very often that he landed in universes with that custom, but he always enjoyed it when he did.

"This is a lovely home." Harry wasn't lying. The room was worn around the edges, but homely in a way that told him that it was lived in and loved. The state of a home could tell you a lot about the family that lived there and Misuo's home was no different. The furniture was worn down like all family's that had children had. There were pictures of Misuo, Hiruzen, and what must of been her husband hanging on the wall. There were bookcases pushed against a wall that were all overflowing with scrolls and books. He could see many such scrolls scattered around the room half-opened and read. In fact, the only odd thing about the room was the piles of small metal weapons that littered the area and the sword holder attached to one wall.

"Thank you. It's messier than I would prefer, but with Hiruzen running around like a little monkey never have the time to clean up properly. The shower is just down the hall on the left. I'll make some tea."

Harry couldn't help, but smile happily as he walked down the hall. The last place he had landed didn't have much in the way of proper showers, but he was lucky that magic was good for more than just jumping universes.

As he stepped into the steaming hot shower and felt the water trickle over his dusty body he remembered why a cleaning spell would never beat a good hot shower. He couldn't help the moan that escaped him at the feeling. There was something about taking a good shower that just made you feel lighter - cleaner- the world was just a little better after a job shower.

He lost track of time just standing under there, uncaring the he might be overstepping his boundaries with Misuo. He had learned a long time ago to take help when it was offered. It was a couple minutes after that when he managed to pull himself from under the stream of water. The fully towel that awaited him almost made it worth it.

Putting on his dirty clothes again was somewhat depressing, but a good cleaning spell wasn't forgotten. Hermione and Ron would be laughing their heads off to learn that the magic he was most skilled at now was household cleaning charms. Practice made perfect after all.

He was still toweling off his hair as he followed a delicious aroma to the kitchen.

He was almost ready to propose marriage when he saw the steaming cup prepared for him. His last proper cup of tea had been four jumps ago and a British man cannot live without his tea.

He bowed gratefully to her. "Thank you, Misuo-san, for the tea and the shower. I am in your debt."

She waved her hand with a smile and motioned to the chair. "Please, sit down. The pleasure was all mine I assure you. I needed to change anyway and you looked like you could use a shower."

"More than you know." Harry nodded and picked up the cup of tea. This time he was able to contain his sigh of contentment after his sip. "So, tell me more about shinobi."

"We used to be split up by clans. Those with kekkai genkai always at the top, but the Hokage changed that all."

"Hokage?" Harry asked with a sip.

"The leader of our village. Senju Hashirama, he started the village with the Uchiha clan's leader Madara. They had a falling out a few years back." She see paused for a second and continued on. "That's his face up on the mountain there." She pointed to the large mountain in the distance that had a face on it. "Some of the clans still don't think this village idea will last, but Senju-sama has held it together admirably so far. The clans without kekkai genkai like it because they don't get lost in the other clans' shadows and can shine. Sasuke was one of such shinobi. Without Konoha we would never be living like this." She pointed around the room in somewhat amazement. Senju-sama was very pleased when Sasuke joined him though, his summons are some of the strongest around."

"Kekkai genaki?" Harry asked confused.

"It's a bloodline limit." Misuo explained to him, getting used to the fact that he didn't seem to know anything.

"Bloodline?"

"It is an ability that is passed down in a clan. The Uchiha have the Sharingan an eye technique that allows them to copy whatever they see with it. There are bloodlines like this in every country though. The Uchiha along with the Hyuga have dojutsu kekkai genkai, meaning it is their eyes that have the bloodline limit. They are some of the strongest around and Konoha has both of them." Harry smiled when he hear her mutter, "Stuck up bastards," under her breath.

"That sounds interesting." Harry said while finishing off his tea.

"I guess." She shrugged and sighed forlornly looking at the stove. "I guess I better get started with dinner." She rubbed her forehead as if in pain.

"Not a big fan of cooking?" Harry asked.

"Cooking is not really one of my skill sets, but there isn't much use for genjutsu around the house." Harry didn't know what genjutsu was, but didn't care.

"I could help, if you would like. I have some skills in the kitchen."

"Really?" Misuo perked up and then slumped again. "I couldn't ask that of you. I would be imposing."

"Nonsense. It is the least I can do. You gave me a shower after all. It's not like I have anything else that I could be doing. I just got to town and without any money I doubt I will find a good place to sleep for the night." Not that it was really that much of a problem. Harry had long ago mastered the art of sleeping outside and he had seen many trees in the village that would do for the night. Misuo however looked horrified by the idea.

"Then you must stay. There is an extra bedroom in the house that no one is using. Sasuke never around much anyway." She looked a little depressed by the statement, but cheered up after. "I could use some company around here with Sasuke gone and Hiruzen always running about the village."

Harry smiled at her. "That sounds fantastic. Thank you for the offer. I will pay you back once I get a job in town." She waved him off, but Harry wouldn't forget. He could accept charity just fine, but always paid it back. Besides, he was only going to stay in town long enough to get some currency to travel. "I think that we should get started with dinner now."

After a few minutes of watching Misuo fumble around the kitchen Harry took over completely. He lead her to the table and forced her to sit and not touch anything as he took care of dinner.

"Hey, mom. Is it safe to come in yet? Dinner smells great, where did you..." Harry got knocked out of his concentration at the words.

He shook his head and look out the window - darkness. Where had the time gone? He smiled and turned around to see Misuo's still silently stunned face.

"You must be Hiruzen-kun. My name is Harry." Harry wiped his hands on a convenient dish towel and bowed.

"Aren't you the..." He trailed off and looked to his mother for an explanation. Unfortunately for him, this seemed to draw his mother from her shock. Her face transformed into disapproving rage.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, what sort of time is this?" She had a stern face on, but Harry could tell that most of the anger had dissipated as the day went on. Hiruzen blushed and shuffled his feet.

"Sorry about the paint." Misuo wasted no time in whacking the back of his head.

"Don't be stupid. The paint was well pulled off, it was the getaway that needed work. I should have never been able to follow you down four streets. We obviously need to work on disguises while you are grounded this week." She ruffled his hair when the distraught boy groaned.

"But mom..."

"No buts, Hiruzen. I know that your chakra coils aren't developed enough for henge, which is better as far as I'm concerned. Shinobi can't always use chakra in enemy territory and you must know how to disguise yourself anyway. I won't allow my son to be a lazy shinobi and just use henge. A lazy shinobi..."

"...is a dead shinobi. Yes, mom, I know." Hiruzen groaned at her again. Harry had to smile the obviously familiar interaction. "Why can't I just specialize. All of my friends are doing it."

Misuo wasted no time in whacking him again. "Most of your friends have kekkai genkai, making it necessary for them to spend a lot of time learning how to use it. You don't have that advantage, monkey. A shinobi who is good at a lot of things is a shinobi always in demand." Harry noticed Hiruzen mouthing the words along with her and chuckled. He wondered how many of those sayings she had tucked away. Misuo kissed Hiruzens forehead and patted him on the backside. "Now, go clean up. Hari-san, the man you knocked down today, has graciously provided the food for the evening and I won't have you mucking up the table."

"Yes, mom." Hiruzen scampered up the stairs and Misuo sat back down at the table.

"So, that was a test?" Harry asked with a grin and turned back to the stove. The food was almost done and he had fun cooking a meal that he hadn't cooked in a long while.

"Life is a test, Hari-san. I intent for my son to pass with flying colors." When he looked at the table he saw her resting her head in her hands. "The majority of shinobi die before 25, I don't want that to be my son and I will do anything to make sure of that."

Harry smiled softly at her. He had understood that feeling when he had been raising his children. Life waited for no man though and death only waited for one.

"Plates?" Misuo looked up at him in surprise and relief.

"Yeah, let me..."

"Tadaima." A brown haired middle aged man walked through the front door and took off his shoes. "What's that smell? Did you get take out?" There was a smile on his face as he entered the kitchen, but froze when he saw Harry by the stove.

"Okaerinasai, Sasuke. This is Hari-san." Misuo stood up and smiled as he entered the room. Harry could immediately tell that the couple loved each other. He bowed.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke-san. The food is ready." He motioned to the stove and Misuo started moving to get the plates.

"I met Hari-san at the market today. He's going to stay here for awhile." The way Misuo said it Harry could tell that it wasn't a question. He did, however, give a little smile at the stunned look on Sasuke's face.

"Misuo..."

"Food is ready dear, didn't you hear." Harry could hear the underlining message of talking about it later, but was glad that he could count on at least one night in a proper bed.

"Food?" Hiruzen asked happily as he also crash landed on the floor in front of his father. His hair was still wet from a shower.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind it, I haven't cooked anything like it in a long while."

"It smells delicious Hari-san. It can't be that bad." Misuo started serving the food.

It was a few minutes into the dinner before anyone said anything. It was Hiruzen who decided to break the silence. "This is amazing Hari-san, much better than anything mom has ever made."

"Hiruzen!" His father gave him an admonishing look, but Harry could see that he agreed with his son. Misuo could apparently tell as well because she scoffed.

"It's not like you married me for my homemaker qualities Sasuke." Sasuke gave her a sly grin.

"No, I most certainly did not." Misuo whacked him on the back of the head and a gave him a mock glare.

"Not at the dinner table."

"So, Hari-san, are you new in town?" Sasuke asked while taking a bite of noodles.

"Yes, just got in."

"Your accent isn't familiar, where are you from?"

"Not anywhere you would be familiar with I think." Harry still smiling at him despite the interrogation.

"Give it a try, I know my geography pretty well."

"_Sasuke_." Misuo spat with a glare.

"No worries, Misuo-san. My home was lost Sasuke-san, a long time ago. I don't mention it to people because generally it isn't worth the time it would take to explain. There is nothing left for me now, so I tend to travel around a lot."

"You travel?"

"Yes, in fact, I'm only in town until I can get enough money to travel around. I have a restless mind, and I can almost hear it rotting if I stay in one place for too long. There is so much to see in the world, staying in one place seems like a waste."

"I don't know about that. There are certain admirable qualities to making a home." He gave a loving look to Misuo.

"I would agree with you, but my family was lost long ago." Harry lost his smile at this, but it wasn't because he was sad. He had gotten over their deaths many, many years ago.

"I'm sorry." Misuo says with a sad look. Harry just shakes his head and smiles at her again.

"No use worrying over spilled milk." He ignores the confused looks they send him. "Now what about dessert."

"There's _dessert_?" Hiruzen's incredulous question makes the entire conversation worth it.

As Harry lies in bed that night looking at the ceiling he feels more at home that he has in three jumps.

That is until he hears the conversation start in the next bedroom.

"Misuo, we need to talk about this."

"Talk about what? He's staying."

"You can't just make these decisions without me." A frustrated growl comes from Sasuke.

"Oh really? When exactly are you around for me to ask these questions to?"

"That's not fair."

"It's not fair to want my husband to sleep in my bed at night and not worry about him losing his life in a far away country where I would never even get to see his body again."

"You knew what sort of man I was when you married me." He growled out again. "Do you regret it?" This one sounded just a bit more desperate.

Harry heard some fabric moving against each other and quiet for awhile.

"You know I never could. I love you, Sasuke, and will until my death." It was quiet for another minute.

"Can we talk about the real issue now?"

"Hari-san is staying."

"Misuo, we know nothing about this boy."

"I know enough. I know he lost his family, has no money, is new in town, and has no place to stay. I know we have an extra room and that his cooking is much better than mine."

"Misuo..."

"I also know he isn't a shinobi."

"How do you know that?"

"Sasuke, you are obviously forgetting what I used to do." Misuo's amused tone answered him. "He doesn't have developed chakra coils. I couldn't be a shinobi with the chakra he has. I would say his is as good as a cripple in that area. They are so strangely placed and twisted. I think he might have access to some other kind of energy, but I couldn't tell you what. I would have to get a Hyuga to look at him, but the chances of that happening are close to zero - snobby bastards."

"Misuo, that's no proof. He could very well still be an enemy plant."

"He can't lie to me dear, I would know it. It was one of the things that made me so good at my job and the reason I know you will never cheat on me."

"So?"

"He didn't know what a shinobi was before I told him. Of that I am sure."

It was quiet again.

"I don't like this." Sasuke broke the silence.

"Too bad. He's our new housekeeper, you better get used to him quickly."

* * *

Harry settled into life with the Sarutobi's easily. After two weeks of living there it felt if he had always been there. Sasuke was gone a lot for work, but Misuo was around to help talk care of Hiruzen. Harry cleaned up the house in the only way he was taught, extensively.

The first week passed in a whirlwind of Harry's cleaning and organizing. Sasuke was amazed when he returned to find two extra bookshelves in the main room and a case for weapons. Harry spent some of the week cleaning the weapons thoroughly and then teaching it to Hiruzen. Learning how to clean weapons was an important part of any soldier's life. Respect the weapon that you use or it could turn on you. Of course, kunai - as he learned they were called - were less dangerous than guns, but only because the people that used them were more dangerous.

It was in the middle of his second week when he walked into the backyard to find Hiruzen angrily tossing kunai into a practice dummy. Every single one was off center and Hiruzen was obviously getting angrier and angrier at his failure.

He stared for a few seconds debate and then sighed.

"You're throwing it wrong." Harry didn't flinch when he turned around surprised, defensively holding the kunai. When Hiruzen realized it was Harry he relaxed a little.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you are holding it wrong. You are limiting your ability to aim properly with that hold. That is better to use in a thrusting motion." Hiruzen's gaze darkened and he stared in suspicion.

"I thought you weren't a shinobi."

"I'm not." Harry sighed again, this was more trouble than it was worth. He slowly pulled one of his daggers out of a sheath on his leg and showed it to Hiruzen. The boy was glaring even more now. "I am not a shinobi, Hiruzen-kun, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to protect myself. In the world which I live I cannot allow myself to go unarmed. I believe the world you live in is similar?" Hiruzen nodded slowly.

"Does mom and dad know about that?" He nodded to the dagger. Harry smiled.

"Misuo-san is aware, but chose not to tell Sasuke-san. That might just be because he has not been around to tell." Harry gripped the dagger and tossed it easily into the target, hitting the center. "Would you like help?"

Hiruzen glared down at the kunai in his hand. "I was doing it exactly how the Academy instructors taught."

"Teacher's can't be wrong? I never met someone infallible in my life and I doubt Academy teachers are the most skilled shinobi in Konoha."

Hiruzen shook his head slowly and looked at Harry speculatively. "Does this mean you will help me become a good shinobi?"

Harry paused for a second, that sounded like a heavy question. He shrugged, there wasn't anything better to do. "Alright."

* * *

Harry pulled the string for the target closest to Hiruzen. He tugged another as Hiruzen spun around the circle trying to hit the targets. The set up had been Harry's idea to begin with and Hiruzen had taken to it like a duck to water.

Targets were positioned around the trainee and were connected to a pulley system that Harry controlled. He could cause any one of them to spring up at a time and tried to surprise Hiruzen as much as possible.

The objective of the training session was the practice aiming while under pressure, surrounded by enemies. It had also turned into somewhat of a game for the two of them.

"TIME." Harry called out and let the targets fall to the ground. A sweaty and tired seven year old Hiruzen stood in the center of the ring.

"Not fair." He groaned and Harry had the feeling if he wasn't so tired it would be more enthusiastic.

"Life's not fair trainee-shinobi." Harry walked over to the circle and started counting the perfect hits.

"You didn't give me enough time to hit the last one."

"You had plenty of time. You were just too tired, which would have caused you to miss anyway, thereby causing your death."

"You are just as bad as mom." He pulled out a canister of water and gulped it down. Harry finished tallying and started pulling them out of the targets.

"Two misses, fourteen center hits, and twenty on target, but not center. Better than last week. It is the two misses that have got me worried. You haven't gotten all on target since last month. Something distracting you?" Harry asked with a smile.

"The Academy graduation test is coming up." Harry froze. "I'm going to take it."

"Are you sure that is..."

"Hari-sensei, I know you are worried. You and mom both, but you've trained me as much as you could. I'm as prepared as I'm going to be. Konoha needs me and I..."

"You're still a kid." Harry said in a hard tone.

"I'm a shinobi." Hiruzen replied harshly and Harry wished that he was still running away from his paint covered mother with his friend.

"When is it?" Harry asked softly, not really wanting the answer.

"Two weeks."

Harry sighed and then straightened up.

"Plenty of time then." He strolled over to Hiruzen and picked up the boy in one swoop. He tossed him over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes and started walking away.

"Hhhnn, _HARI_, put me _down_!" Harry smiled and patted him on the bum. He walked out of training area 34.

"No can do, big boy." He walked through town ignoring the looks and the wriggling of the boy on his shoulder.

He didn't stop until they reached a lake. He didn't pause in tossing the young boy into the cool lake.

"_WHAT W-WAS T-T-THAT FOR-R-R?" _The shivering kind of took away the impact of the anger.

Harry just smiled at him. "You looked overheated."

Hiruzen glared from inside the lake and started swimming back to shore.

* * *

"AHHH!" Harry smiled at the surprised tones of the newly awakened boy. Misuo, who was sitting at the table munching on a piece of toast smiled as well. The banging of angry footsteps down the stairs was like music to his ears. "HARI! What was that?"

"Wake up call. I didn't want you to be late for your academy test and _look_," Harry grinned at the drenched boy. "you've already taken your shower."

Misuo started chuckling at the table, but covered it up with a cough when Hiruzen turn his glare to her.

"Let's go get you changed." Harry lead the wet boy up the stairs and into the bathroom. Hiruzen had already picked out his outfit weeks ago, with how worried he had been. He had chosen the clothes that gave him the most range of motion in case they tested taijutsu, but were heavy enough to provide some protection from projectiles.

Harry pushed him under a warm showerhead and told him to be out in under five minutes or he wouldn't get breakfast - he made it there in three.

"Don't eat so fast you might get sick." Misuo scolded him lightly, not really meaning it. She wanted to get in a few good scolding's before he technically became an adult. Hiruzen slowed down anyway.

He was almost bouncing as he walked by Harry and Misuo down the street.

He wasn't bouncing when he finally reached the Academy.

Harry didn't know what to expect from the building, but it certainly wasn't a rundown shack in the middle of a bustling neighborhood. Hiruzen had told him that only those without a clan came to the Academy, clan leaders didn't trust outsiders to teach their children what they needed to know.

It looked somewhat like a kicked anthill, there were students running everywhere and somewhat teary parents watching them. It wasn't long until Harry noticed that most of the children were older than ten, but there were some youngsters like Hiruzen psyching themselves up for the test.

Harry looked down to get Hiruzen one last ruffle goodbye and noticed that he was standing in stock still terror.

"Hiruzen?" Harry couldn't help, but wonder what the problem was. He had been looking forward to this test for weeks.

"Should I really do this?" The voice was tiny and childlike and terrified.

It was almost the most mature question he had ever heard come from Hiruzen's mouth. Which told him the exact thing he had been questioning and worrying about for weeks.

Harry knelt on the ground and stared the boy in the eye. He searched his soul, his resolve, but knew that the answer he had found wasn't the one he really wanted.

"Hiruzen-kun, I will only say this once so pay attention. There comes a point in every person's life where they regret that they have left childhood behind. It might come at fifty, it might come at seven." He looked pointedly at him. "If you don't do this now you will regret it more. I don't want to admit it, but you are ready for this test. You are already better than most shinobi twice your age. There is no reason I can find to hold you back besides my own selfish wishes for your childhood. Being a shinobi is not an easy life, this I can tell you and I haven't even lived it, but you don't need me to tell you this - you already know. You know everything your mother and I can teach you about shinobi life, the only step left is for you to live it. It won't always be easy and you will do things that you aren't proud of later, this is a part of all life, but the road that you tread is more difficult than any civilians. There will be death, probably more than you can stand, your friends will die, your family, your teammates. That's okay, everyone dies someday. This is the point where you decide. I have no doubt if you go into that building today you will pass the test, but once you pass the test there is no going back. There is no off switch in shinobi life. Even retirement isn't safe. This job is until you die and the chances that you will die young are astronomical. So this is it. Right now. Do you want to be a shinobi?"

Harry didn't know how long he stared into Hiruzen's eyes, it could have been a millennium or a millisecond.

"Yes." The answer was soft, but firm. He was ready. Harry gave a sad smile.

Harry gave him a small kiss on the forehead and stood up. He ruffled Hiruzen's hair and forced him into his mother's arms.

Harry ignored the blurred vision as Hiruzen stepped away from him and into the Academy.

It was only once he felt Misuo's hand wiping away something on his cheek that he came back to himself.

"It's time to go home Hari-kun." Harry nodded and wiped his eyes.

They walked in silent mourning back to the house, taking comfort in the other person. Relieved that they didn't have to hide their grief from each other.

The day passed in much the same tone. Neither Harry or Misuo could gather up much energy to work around the house.

They spent most of the day sitting on the couch in silence and read.

They started to pull themselves together after midday when they knew that Hiruzen and Sasuke would be coming home soon.

"Hari-kun?" Misuo said absentmindedly from her position looking out the kitchen window.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad I met you."

Harry smiled, "Me too, Misuo-san, me too." He wasn't lying, but he wished he was. It always made the goodbyes worse.

Both Misuo and Harry put on their happy faces when they saw a giant dust cloud being raised by a child running down the street.

The door banged open not even a minute later.

"HARI, MOM!" The excited boy was screaming for them.

"In here, monkey." Misuo said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She didn't break when Hiruzen came running into the room, with a new accessory. The hitai-ate was just a little too big on him, causing it to slip over his eyes and him having to push it up. Harry thought Misuo did admirably not showing her disappointment to the boy.

"I did it! I did!" He started jumping up and down and rushed to his mother for a hug. "You said I could, and I DID!" He was so excited he didn't even notice the lackluster hug he got in return. "Where's dad, I've go.."

"HIRUZEN! Where are you my boy? What's this I hear about you passing?" At least one adult in the family was excited by the news.

"DAD!" Hiruzen jumped into his father's arms when he entered the room. Sasuke caught him and spun him around in a circle.

"I knew you could do it!" Sasuke hugged his son with all of the strength he had.

Staring at the happy scene only one thought was going through Harry's head.

Maybe it was time to leave.

He had already stayed longer than he thought he would and maybe this was a sign. Hiruzen would have his own instructor soon. Misuo wouldn't need anyone around the house. Maybe, just maybe it was time to move on.

* * *

The first time the ball of orange paint landed on Hiruzen he was so shocked that he stood still and allowed two other different colors to hit him before he started moving.

"HARI-SENSEI!" Hiruzen's shocked and horrified voice was beautiful to Harry - who was currently rolling on the ground of training area 34 with laughter.

"Yes, Hiruzen-kun?" Harry asked with tears of laughter still in his eyes.

"What is this?" The angry multi-colored boy demanded.

"A new training tool. You have mastered the art of the still target, now it is time to move on. I am going to teach you to move in combat."

"With paint?" The horrified boy looked down at his ruined uniform.

"With paint." Harry nodded smiling. He had decided early on that red paint probably wasn't the best idea yet, but any other color was free game.

"I have a team practice with Tobirama-sensei after this, you want me to go there looking like this?" Hiruzen asked, horrified.

"It will give you good incentive not to get hit next time." He said with a smile. Hiruzen was still glaring, but started trying to rub the paint off with water from his canteen. A thought crossed Harry's mind. "Hiruzen-kun, how is Danzo-kun doing? I never hear you talk about him anymore."

"Danzo didn't pass the Academy test so he has to take it again next year. Besides team training is more important than hanging out with Danzo." Hiruzen answered still focused on getting the paint off his uniform to no use.

"Don't you miss him?"

"Of course, but Shinobi training comes before friendship until you are strong enough to protect yourself on missions." Hiruzen answered with a single minded focus.

Harry sighed.

"Hiruzen-kun, don't get so caught up in training that you forget that there are other important things out there." Harry ruffled his hair and pushed him toward the exit of the training ground. "Now, I believe you have a team meeting to get to."

Hiruzen groaned and his still multi-colored uniform. "Tobirama-sensei will never let me live this down."

* * *

Harry walked into the backyard to find Hiruzen glaring at a baby chimpanzee and the chimpanzee glaring back.

He groaned mentally, but walked over anyway.

The eight year old didn't move from his spot as Harry approached.

"Hey there, Hiruzen-kun. What are you doing?"

"Training." The irritated boy growled out.

"Really?" Harry asked amused. "Because it kind of looks like you're glaring at a monkey."

"Dad let me sign the family summoning contract today."

Harry was surprised. "Congratulations. He said he wasn't going to until he knew he could trust you with it. You must have impressed him somehow."

"He just wanted me to have at least one C-rank under my belt." Hiruzen scoffed and continued glaring.

"So what's the problem." He stared between the two of them, amused at the length of their staring contest.

"I can't summon anything except this little baby. He's useless, he's too young to even be able to talk yet."

Harry smiled at the grumpy boy and monkey.

"He kind of reminds me of you." Harry said with a grin. Hiruzen turned around in shocked anger at Harry, but the second he took his eyes of the monkey it grinned and flung itself at Hiruzen.

Harry couldn't help but laugh as the tiny monkey fist hit Hiruzen right in the eye. Hiruzen fell to the ground in shock and started to slap at the monkey. The entire pitiful wrestling match made Harry laugh even more. Just when it looked like Hiruzen got a good grip on the chimp Harry plucked it from his fingers.

"Now he definitely reminds me of you." Harry smiled at the chimp in his hand and placed the monkey on his shoulder to rest. "No beating up your summons young genin, otherwise they won't let you use them." Harry stared in amusement as the chimp on his shoulder nodded in agreement and stuck out his tongue at Hiruzen.

"Hari, what am I supposed to do? They little guy isn't useful in battle."

"I didn't expect him to be. Hiruzen your summoning contract is just starting. Your father didn't think you would summon the king of primates on your first try. You don't have enough chakra for that yet. This is about you developing a relationship with them. Summons aren't like pets, they have their own life outside of yours. They allow you to summon them and if they don't like you than they will not let you. You are supposed to become friends with them, that is what the beginner summons are about." The chimp nodded along with everything he said and Harry had to wonder if he even knew what was being said.

Hiruzen's anger deflated and he looked stubbornly at the chimp. "Fine. I try to get along with him."

Harry put out his hand for the chimp to crawl down and held it in front of Hiruzen.

They seemed to go back to a staring contest, but this time Hiruzen was the winner. The chimp sniffed and then climbed on top of Hiruzen's head.

Harry left them there chatting. Well, Hiruzen was chatting and the monkey was nodding a lot. Harry almost thought he imagined the grateful look that the chimp shot him as he was leaving.

* * *

"Mito-sama, please let me take your coat." Harry reached out to help the Hokage's wife take off her coat. The Hokage had been invited to dinner at the Sarutobi house and Harry had been delegated household staff for the meal.

Misuo had glared at Sasuke when the man suggested it, but Harry had just shrugged - he was household staff.

Harry threw the coat over one arm and got his first real look at the reputably strong woman - and was immediately saddened.

He couldn't hold in the soft, "I'm sorry." That escaped his mouth.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite soft enough for Mito not to catch it.

"Whatever for dear?" Mito turned around to face Harry with a smile. Harry was sad he couldn't return it. He didn't feel much like smiling.

"For the both of you." Harry pulled away and walked down the hall leaving the shocked woman behind. There was no happiness to be found talking to a demon prison.

It was definitely time to go.

* * *

"Hari-sensei, what does gay mean?" Harry chocked on the dango that he was eating and turned to the boy in horror.

"Hiruzen-kun, where did you learn that word?" Harry asked in horror, mentally wondering why he hadn't asked his parents and left Harry completely out of the conversation.

"I heard some older boys calling another boy that." Harry almost glared at the words. It seemed every universe he ended up in had bullying.

"It means that a person likes a person of the same gender as them." Harry answered succinctly. Hiruzen looked at him confused. Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead, a seemingly constant action while raising Hiruzen. "You know how Misuo-san loves Sasuke-san?"

"Yeah." Hiruzen drawled out slowly.

"Well, imagine feeling that way towards someone of your own gender." Hiruzen was still staring at him with a blank face. "Like you and Danzo for insistence."

"Me...and...Danzo...like mom and dad?" He seemed to ask himself confused. He made a face. "Gross."

"Gross?"

"Yeah, why would I ever like Danzo like that? He's a friend, but I wouldn't ever want to think about him like that. Yuck."

Harry sighed again. "Hiruzen-kun, being gay is not gross."

"It's not?" He asked confused again. "The boys in the playground made it sound like it was."

"Bullies tend to like to pick on anyone for being different, but that doesn't mean it is gross. Love is never gross." Harry answered, picking up another piece of dango.

Hiruzen look sideways at Harry, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. "Harry, are you gay?" Harry rubbed his head and groaned, cursing intuitive children.

"Not exactly. I like people of both genders. I don't tend to limit myself to one." He had lived too long for that. "I've had male and female lovers. My first lover was female." He had loved Ginny with all of his being, there was still an empty place his heart where her and the children sat. "After that I just didn't want to see her in any of my lovers, so I took to men. Though, I have lived long enough now that I just tend to love beauty." Harry looked at the confused face of the boy next to him.

"Like her?" Hiruzen pointed across the street to a pretty civilian woman picking flowers. Harry shook his head.

"No, Hiruzen-kun, beauty of the skin is shallow. I love beauty of the soul." Harry smiled at the confused face of the boy and patted his head. "You will understand when you are older."

They spent the next several minutes eating in silence. Hiruzen looked like he was in deep thought and Harry didn't really want to interrupt him.

Hiruzen broke that silence.

"Hari-sensei?"

"Yes, Hiruzen-kun?"

"I don't think I could like boys like that."

Harry patted his head again and pressed his lips to Hiruzen's forehead protector. "That's okay too, monkey, that's okay too."

* * *

Harry put a lot of stock in goodbyes.

His life was one of travel, constantly on the move, never quite sure where he was going to end up. It was for this reason that he treated every goodbye like it was the last he was ever going to make.

There was no room for more regrets in his damaged heart.

So, as he said goodbye to the Sarutobi family that had made this universe so comfortable for him he made sure it counted.

"Misuo, I will miss you more than words can express." Harry clutched onto the middle aged woman like she was the only life vest left on a sinking ship. He let the tears flow freely down his face and didn't try to contain he emotion. It was better to release these now than be caught by surprise months later.

Misuo seemed to prescribe to his idea of goodbyes because she clutched him just as tightly. "Come back to see us. As soon as you can tear yourself away from the road. Come back and visit me when I'm an old woman otherwise I will be very angry with you." Her voice wavered and her tears wetted his shirt.

Harry nodded, but didn't promise. He didn't like broken promises - he could never quite get the taste out of his mouth.

Misuo backed away with teary eyes and showed the rest of the family.

Sasuke was the one most put together, but even he had tears in his eyes. Hiruzen wasn't so composed.

The eight year old boy had snot running down his soaked wet face. The tick marks by his eyes were even more pronounced than normal.

Harry knelt down and opened his arms. The coalition caused both the older and the boy to crash into the dusty road. Harry clutched the sobbing boy tightly.

"Look at this, just back were we started." Harry smiled wetly at the boys head. His head was crushed against Harry's chest and his forehead protect was skewed.

"W-w-why d-d-do yo-ou hav-v-ve to go-o-o?" The boy hiccupped against him and soaked his shirt.

"It's not permanent, monkey, but it is something I have to do." It's my job, went unsaid.

"I don't w-w-want you to leave." He seemed to be calming down a little, but still clutched onto the man.

Harry stood up slowly and placed the boy on his feet. He wiped the tears off his face and put on a brave face.

"I have to get out of here before dark, monkey. I need you to be brave for me now." Harry leaned down and hugged the boy one last time. "Look after yourself, monkey. I expect you to be here waiting when I get back."

Harry stood up and straightened his wet shirt. He put on his traveler face and turned back to the gate. He smiled as he exited the gate and continued to wave to the family until he was out of sight.

The forest was quieter than he was used to.

* * *

The first time he jumped universes it wasn't a mistake. After centuries of living alone on Earth, it had gotten to him. Losing all of the people that had known him as a child had been torturous. Once he had lost all of the vampires that were older than he was it was even worse. There was something disconcerting about living in a world where not a single person alive knew from personal experience what it was like when he was a child.

Everything seemed wrong after Ginny and the children were gone. They had children of their own of course, and so on, but he had stopped paying attention to his descendents centuries ago.

He had learned and consumed everything that the wizarding world had concluded about magic, some of it he agreed with - most of it he did not.

He did however believe in the spell that would help him switch universes. Discovered with help of extensive study of the arch in the Department of Mysteries. He had to tweak parts of it for his own use of course, but he was more than ready to discover someplace new.

The first universe he jumped to was beautiful.

The skies were clear and green, the grass was blue, the ocean was a sparkling golden color that never stopped amazing him. It was the most beautiful world he had ever jumped to.

It was also the worst.

The entire beautiful population of the beautiful world was controlled by an insane god with a fetish for torture. Harry had seen more terrible scarring things in his hundred years on that planet than in any to come. He had seen torture and rape and murder happen like it was commonplace. He had seen fathers rape daughters and commit suicide. He had seen mothers carve out their babies hearts to stay young and beautiful. He had seen the genocide of a population and not a single person seemed to care. It took 'don't judge a book by its cover' to a whole different level.

Being in a world like that changed you. It took your being, your soul, and twisted it until it was unrecognizable.

He still didn't quite know how he had survived it. How he had gathered a group of trustworthy sane people around him. He had no idea how he had managed to kill that monster that called himself a god.

The reorganization and re-educating of an entire world took almost as much work as the bring down of the bad guy. They had done it though, through sheer determination and will. Harry remembered the love he had found there after that. The group of soldiers he had lead had turned into a family and a government.

Harry had re-fallen in love with the world. Perfect in the newness and uncertainty of the future.

The second universe he had jumped to had been a surprise.

Harry didn't remember exactly where he was when he got pulled out of the first universe, but he remembered being content. Maybe that was fate's signal to take it away again. More punishment for the undying hero.

Harry spent the first year in the new universe poring over his notes of the universe jumping spell. At first he just wanted to get back to the little family he had left behind there, but after of few months he only wanted to know what he had done wrong.

When he found the mistake that he had made he almost wanted to commit suicide as punishment for his mistake. The pain that he would get from the attempt would provide his soul some good penance.

Instead of changing the rune to 'where he needed to go' he had changed it to 'where he was needed'. He had cried for a month afterward, finally understanding his fate. The gods' job for him.

The first universe hadn't needed him anymore. He had changed what needed to be changed and so - he was pulled to a place that needed him more.

The second world wasn't as beautiful as the first.

It was filled with black smoke polluting the air and barren land with no vegetation at all. It was not as bad as the first one though.

It took Harry another hundred years in this world to realize that the gods knew what they were doing. Harry was needed here. He didn't want to do it, in fact, put all of his effort into negating the plan and not helping anyone.

It didn't work.

Harry couldn't turn off his soul no matter how much he wanted to at times. He could not turn away from a starving face anymore than he could kick a puppy. It wasn't in him to be cruel to those people and they had loved him for it. He had gained a posse of followers without even trying to. The first time he had ever created his own religion to change a world and he had decidedly liked it better than fighting a war.

More universes came after that. Endless in their desperate need for him.

Or, as he sometimes liked to think, not him - exactly. People needed someone to look up to, a guide through the darkness. A model of what to become. Learning by example.

Those universes would have been just fine with some other savior, but the gods had him under contract - so why make their own.

Harry used to get tired by the endless amounts of work. The seemingly never ending struggle to succeed.

He had lived too long to be bothered by that now though.

He had learned to savor the worlds that he landed in. There was no need to rush the saving portion of his job. He considered every new universe a tiny vacation. There was something new and different to be found in each.

Light could be found even in the darkest of places if only you looked for it.

Beauty could be found in any universe as long as you searched for it.

So Harry searched, and traveled, and learned all about the universes he landed in. He learned the bad parts and the good parts. He made friends and took lovers. He learned what needed to change and what had to stay the same. He smelt flowers that he had never seen before and watched animals that never existed in the other universes he had lived in.

Then, when everything looked dire and wrong - he did his best to help fix it.

Because even if it wasn't his universe, it was somebody's. The beautiful people like Misuo and Hiruzen would have to live here long after he was gone and what right did he have to stand by if he could help.

Harry smiled and breathed in the clean air of the forest, the first step in his long journey.

* * *

AN: So...this is awkward. I realize this isn't Snake and Spider and don't worry I am still working on that one. This will be a two-shot. Shouldn't run any longer that 20,000 words - probably a lot less than that. This story just kind of hit me over the head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. It might have something to do with procrastinating studying for an Algorithms test, but whatever.

I hope you like it. The second part should be out by the end of the week. If you notice any obvious errors that you want to point out to me I will fix it.

Thanks for reading,

~Rain


	2. Under Pressure

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I just like to crush souls and write tangents.

Warning: This story is the longest I've ever written and the least read over. So there are bound to spelling and grammar mistakes out the wazoo. If you see any particularly annoying ones point them out and I'll fix them.

* * *

**Under Pressure**

* * *

Harry understood war.

Harry understood it better than perhaps any person alive. He knew the ins and the outs of it. The good and the bad parts of it. He had lead soldiers into battle and he had been a soldier just following orders in it. He had huddled in the trenches and stood at the command table. He had planned out battle strategies with the best of them and watched as those strategies self destruct in the fray. He had been the civilian on the sidelines. The medic trying to heal the wounds of the dying. The rush of adrenaline going into a battle and the fall from exhaustion after one were old friends to him. The blood stained grass fields and buildings that were forever scarred by the combat that had taken place there were almost like home to him. He knew intimately the death and destruction a war could cause.

He knew the necessity and the pointlessness of it.

He knew that despite what the propaganda of either side said, there was rarely ever a truly good and a truly bad side.

He had been on a side that had started a war and a side that had defended against it.

So, he was of the opinion that the best kind of war was the one that didn't happen.

* * *

He wasn't surprised when Misuo had informed him about a war she thought was brewing on the horizon. He was even less surprised once he left the plentiful security of Konohagakure.

The Land of Fire, as it was called, was a gorgeous place. Never too hot or too cold. Just enough sun and rain to make the sprawling forests that seemed to be everywhere. The animals of the forest had made this place their territory and they protected it fiercely.

Harry was glad to have been far away from the hidden village the first time he had run into one of the oversized creatures that seemed to run rampant about the land. He wouldn't have been able to stop himself from using magic in his defense even if the overly suspicious ninja were around.

He decided then that maybe having ninja in this universe made sense because if that was what a bunny could grow into he would hate to see what a predator could be. So, human's growing into predators of their own that could take down beasts that large, and eventually even cage demons, made sense.

It was rare that Harry was drawn to a universe where humans weren't the dominant species - though it had happened - it was the ability to adapt to different circumstances and thrive that did it. The humans of this world had more than thrived however and it seemed almost as if they were drunk on that power.

Chakra was the lifeblood of this world . . . and it's downfall.

It was enough to make a man almost invincible and given that despite - or perhaps because of - their ability to survive, people were still people.

The greed for power that lingered in every world he visited made this world reek.

The very structure and economy of their society was based on killing, spying on, and manipulating others.

It was no wonder there was a war about to start.

It was no wonder that there had been battles between clans even before there were hidden villages.

Harry supposed that people became dominant because of their ability to survive and use the tools around them to their advantage. It was unfortunate that the tool that had been given to use and abuse was chakra. It reminded Harry of magic and how even the most glorious things can be used for evil means.

Harry had spent most of his long life on Earth trying to make sure that there never was another Voldemort - another him. He destroyed all the knowledge of horcruxes and tracked down those that tried to meddle in magic too dark because the world only needed one insane immortal and he filled that slot. Magic was an easy power to abuse, the rush dark magic gave its users was addicting and oh so nice. Even the kindest soul could be corrupted if given the right temptations.

And despite everything, people were people.

Capable of the greatest deeds and the worst ones.

* * *

Harry liked the idea of ninjas - shinobi - more than he actually liked them.

He came to this conclusion after watching two shinobi with slashes through their hitai-ates destroy a small farming village for what little food they had scrounged up to survive the winter.

Harry had been traveling through the Land of Water for almost two weeks when he came across the small village. They were generally the places that Harry most enjoyed staying. There was something about small communities that banded together for the good of all that made him feel better. It was the little things that tended to make the world livable and the fact that small communities like this existed meant that something was still right with the world.

Harry had been there for two days before it happened, the two men strolled into the village like they were just taking a short walk. Neither had packs, but the clothes that had on were mostly clean and soft looking. If it wasn't for the hitai-ates Harry would have pegged them for wealthy youngsters that were looking for entertainment.

Well, they were looking for entertainment, but it was the kind taken out in blood by sadists.

It was the scratch on their headbands that provided the terrible answer to Harry.

Missing-nin, the tiny Misuo encyclopedia in his head provided. They were a relatively new development in the large scheme of things. The villages had just started to gain power and gather clans. They were becoming more defined though and just because Konohagakure was the first didn't mean that it was the going to be the only. So, shinobi running away from the villages was also new. Harry didn't know much beyond that really and people running away from home had never really been something he worried about. Misuo had told him about Konoha shinobi having to track down a few who had gone rogue, but they had never really done damage, just stole some things.

The two walked through the village calmly, seemingly having a conversation in their own little world and ignoring everything around them. Harry barely paid attention to them. The newness of their arrival worn off in ten minutes after they had both left. There never seemed to be any danger.

To his mind it seemed as if these missing shinobi were just like better trained bandits. Two bandits alone couldn't destroy a village of forty, but two shinobi definitely could, as Harry found out that night.

Harry generally didn't sleep in small villages like this. With almost no money to his name and no desire to intrude and consume resources of the village that needed them had lead to him resting outside the village and scrounging for his own food in the evenings.

Harry had never regretted it more that night.

It must have been around midnight when the screams awoke him from sleep.

Harry was used to rude awakenings, but in a place he thought safe it threw him off more than usual. It took him a minute to wake up and by then the screams had stopped. Harry forgot his shoes in the forest, they weren't important. By the time he got to the edge of the forest next to the village he could see the light.

Someone had set fire to at least one of the houses.

Harry had the start of the fire-hose spell on the tip of his tongue the moment he stepped into the village clearing. He was prepared for the emergency of a house on fire with villagers running around trying to save what they could. After all, with everything made of wood, fires weren't so unusual.

He was in no way prepared for the massacre he walked in on and did something that he hadn't done in ten consecutive universes - he froze.

At least twenty bodies were sprawled in the street, some bloodied, some not. One looked half burned, only half because she was missing the bottom half. The familiar stench of burning bodies filled his nostrils, a scent he could never forget no matter how much he wished to never smell it again. Two of the houses were still on fire, another was already a burnt husk. Harry recognized what little there was left of the leader's house in the burnt rubble and felt the sob grow in his throat. The house had been warm and large, the meeting place where all of the adults relaxed after working in the field - it was nothing but charcoal.

A small whimper caught his attention and he was brought back to the present. Two forms stood in the center of the blazing area. One of them was crouched over a couple sacks. He seemed to do something because after a second later they had disappeared and he picked a small scroll off the ground. The other one was standing tall with his head thrown back - laughing - and clutching the throat of someone in his hand.

Harry took a few mindless steps forward, half reacting on instinct and horror.

"Look a' her. Isn't she a beaut' and all min'." Harry was close enough to hear them now, not that he wanted to.

"Ours, you mean." The other growled back.

"O' course. She j'st the right age too." He laughed again and shook the girl and once Harry got close enough to tell exactly who it was he almost threw up.

Biwako was the youngest daughter of the leader, almost eight if he remembered her excited talking correctly. She was covered in soot, but still had a couple flowers braided into her hair from her older sister earlier in the day. She had fallen asleep in the middle of the braiding and had to be carried home by her father much to the enjoyment of the rest of the village.

"She's got a bit of a spark too, she was the only one that got out of the house. It takes some force of chakra to get past my barriers." The scroll holding murder said lightly, proud.

"Na', you just don't even have enough chakra to keep in a littl' girl." The man chuckled nasally. The other seemed disgruntled, but just shrugged it off.

"Well, it kept in the rest of the screaming wimps, didn't it?"

Harry had heard enough. He was aware of what was going on now, and he was furious. He barely had to flick a wrist before the cutting curse ripped through the air and straight into the throat of the scroll holder.

The one holding Biwako didn't even have time to look surprised at his suddenly headless companion before his head joined him on the floor.

Harry didn't waste time and plucked Biwako out of the dead man's hands before she could even touch the ground.

It seemed she too didn't have time to process this because she was still fighting, squirming in his arms.

"Shhhh, it's okay. I've got you now. They are dead. They can't hurt you anymore." That was a kind lie, but exactly what children needed to hear after something like this. "Shhh, shhhh."

It was gradual, but she stopped squirming and then started hiccupping - another childhood response to danger. Harry kept muttering sweet nothings into her ear, there really was nothing else he could do.

He let his magic coat the area, the fires snuffed out in an instant, only burned out structures remained. His magic also coated the bodies, looking for anything, any faint heartbeat or breath sound.

Nothing.

Nothing but silence. The wind softly blowing over coals made of houses and people. The quiet hiccupping sobs of a eight year old who had her entire family and everyone she had ever known stripped away from her in one night, because of scum.

Harry held her close to him, letting the sobs release from her and soaking his shirt. It was a scene he knew better than anyone should.

He was still gently rocking her when she fell asleep crying at sunrise.

The walk back to his camp was slow and quiet and guilt filled. He had only the crunching of twigs beneath his sore and blistered bare feet and the sound of the waking birds' tweets - because they stop for no tragedy - to keep him company. He walked slowly to make sure not to wake the girl, and to make sure that he had enough time to let out his own grief.

Murdered villages were nothing new in his life, but that never stopped him from thinking he could have stopped it.

Once he reached his camp he laid her on top of his bedding and started packing up. He still had to bury bodies and gather what little he could from the burnt houses, but he would need to get on the road today if he wanted to make it to another village by tonight. If he remembered correctly there was another small farming village that traded nearby so he might find someplace safe to drop Biwako off.

* * *

The rest of the morning was spent sweating while digging out graves and dead bodies from buildings. The work was just as awful and necessary as it normally was. He debated for awhile while if he wanted to show Biwako the bodies or just the grave stones. He didn't know the names of everyone in the village, but did his best to remember what he could. He buried the three babies next to their mothers and tried to keep the families together as must as possible.

Some of the villagers appeared to have died by smoke inhalation and others by some other means that Harry couldn't place so must have been a jutsu of some sort.

He sat for awhile beside the open graves of the thirty-five bodies and tried not to brood over the fact that the small cemetery they had tripled in capacity in a single night. He was still sitting quietly over the open graves when he heard the sob of Biwako waking up.

"Mommy?" The cry made Harry flinch. "Da..." She cried a little more, seemingly recognizing that it wasn't just a bad dream.

Harry didn't move or say anything. He sat there waiting for her to come to him.

Minutes passed before the crying stifled and sounds of the girl getting out of the bed roll appeared. Harry didn't do anything but sit over the graves. He had meditated earlier in the day and gave a blessing to help the dead move on.

He stayed relaxed as the girl sat down next to him on the ground, still covered in soot from the burning house she had escaped.

The sat a few more minutes in silence before she said anything. "You are the hunter that has been around the last few days aren't you?" The girl spoke softly, but stiffly. Harry mourned for the innocence lost and the darkness that had invaded her once bright brown eyes.

"Yes." The gravelly scratchiness reminded Harry that he hadn't had anything to drink in a few hours.

"Are you one of them?" Harry looked at the girl for the first time take morning in shock. The girl in question was looking away from him at the two wooden pyres he had made for the bandits. They couldn't be buried in the cemetery with the people they had killed and he hadn't been quite sure what to do with them, so the pyres made of broken wood sat waiting for a fire.

"No! Why would you... no, I'm not one of them. I'm not even like them." Harry told her quickly. He was surprised when she snapped her head around to look him straight in the eyes.

"How did you do it then?" Her almost black eyes trying to dissect him. "How did you ki..kill them?" She stumbled over the word, but still spat it out.

Harry's eyes softened. "I know how to defend myself is all and others if it comes to it." He turned back to the graves. "You will never know how sorry I am that I didn't make it in time to save the rest of the village."

"Me too."

They spent the rest of the morning in respectful silence. Biwako helped him name the few of the bodies he hadn't recognized and even helped him shovel dirt, not that he asked she just wanted to help and say goodbye.

They were finishing up the last of the graves, those of the blacksmith and his wife when a large gust of wind blew through the center of town.

With it a masked man stood in the center of the empty village road.

Biwako wasted no time jumping behind Harry and peering out at the man in a stiff terrified manner, which made Harry wonder exactly when she had started looking to him for protection.

The masked man had a hitai-ate with four slanted marks wrapped around his upper arm and a belt sash that held the sheath of a long sword. He took a step towards Harry, but stopped when he noticed that there was a girl behind him cowering.

"Citizen, I am looking for a duo of men that might have passed through this way. They are very dangerous and must be captured for..." The man trailed off as he saw the two pyres to his side and the heads that sat on top of very dead bodies.

"Yes, we've met," Harry gave a grim look to the graves behind him and back to the masked man, "briefly."

The man walked over to the two pyres and stared at the men before he started digging through the clothing of the two men.

"Are you looking for something?" Harry asked casually.

"Yes, they had some classified information they were trying to sell. The would have had a scroll on them that had the information." He seemed disappointed before he turned around. "I need to speak with the leader of this village to see about reparations and the return of the scrolls."

Harry glared for a second at the callous man, but before he could say anything he was interrupted by a small voice.

"That's me." Biwako spoke up softly from behind his legs. The masked man stared in what could only be confusion for a minute before looking to Harry for explanation.

"The last surviving member of this village stands before you." Harry pulled Biwako in front of him. "If you have something to say, it would be to her." The masked man continued to stare, giving Biwako enough time to gather courage and stand up straighter.

"Yeah, if you have something to say then say it to me."

The man composed himself before saying anything. Harry gave him credit when the man knelt on one knee before her an hung his head.

"My apologizes, young leader, it was my duty to find these men before they caused any harm and I have failed. My village is only a day's walk from here and there is free boarding if you need a new place to rest. I ask only for the scrolls that we stolen by these men."

"No." Biwako said stubbornly, much to the confusion and shock of Harry.

"Biwako, what do..."

"I already have a protector and a sensei." Biwako gave a vague wave at Harry behind her.

"Wait, I didn't..."Harry tried to correct her to no avail.

"I will of course return the scrolls that were taken from you if you show me how to open them." Harry looked at her in shock, he wasn't the only one.

"Open them, why?" The still kneeling man asked.

Biwako merely crossed her arms. "These men stole from this village and placed my belongings into one of the scrolls. I will not allow you to take my things and I need to know how to access what is inside them."

The man nodded absentmindedly and stood from his position. " Seems reasonable. You give me the remaining scrolls and I will teach you to open them."

Biwako tapped her finger on her chin in a move that reminded Harry eerily of her father. "You have a deal." She spat in her hand and held it out for the man to shake. Harry smiled lightly at the move. Farmers in the Land of Water had weird traditions about deals. The seemed to think if a deal was shook on by hands containing the fluids of the body then it made an unbreakable bond between partners. It was one of the many little things that Harry loved about his travels, learning about traditions of the places he visited.

The masked man held the girls hand gently and shook.

Biwako still looked a little disgruntled when she raced behind Harry to the pile of scrolls that Harry had lifted from the bodies of the men. She carefully picked out the ones that Harry had told her contained her village's food and wealth. She raced back to the man and held them out.

"Show me."

The man sounded amused when he answered. "Do you know how to draw chakra?"

"A little, we are required to know how for some of the machines and taking care of the animals." She told him succinctly, probably because her father had mentioned it to her many times before.

"Alright then, hold out you hand." Biwako stared at him for another minute before she complied with shaky hands. "I'm going to give you a small cut to your fingertips. Channel your chakra into the cut and then swipe it across the seal on the page, you do the same to seal it back up again. It is all about intent." He swiped her finger with something Harry couldn't see and despite the small gasp that came from Biwako's mouth, Harry didn't think she was hurt, but went over to stand next to her just in case. Because even though he had been made guardian of a child without his consent didn't mean he wanted to lose her.

He arrived by her side just in time to see the pile of food and sacks of treasures appear from the scroll. It still amazed him what chakra could accomplish and how quickly. Biwako looked just as amazed as he did though so as least he wasn't out of place.

"If that is all, I would once again like you invite you to my village, Kirigakure." This he seemed to direct at Harry, who he had probably deduced had killed the runaways.

Harry stiffened. "No, I don't think I'm headed that way." Harry answered mostly because he had no desire to get caught up in shinobi politics and getting interrogated by people trained to kill sounded like a terrible way to spend a weekend. He had no doubt that the man was only asking because he didn't know what kind of skills Harry had that allowed him to kill the deserters. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm headed out of the country."

"What?" Biwako looked up at Harry, breaking out of her amazement of her new skill.

Before Harry had time to answer the masked man distracted them both by grabbing onto the pile of scrolls and tucking them away. He then moved over to the two pyres and without even a word of warning went through a quick motion of hand seals and a fire started. The pyres were still burning brightly and quickly when he turned to give a quick bow to the two of them and then disappeared again.

Harry let out a large breath that he hadn't been fully aware that he was keeping.

"So," Harry turned to Biwako, now standing nervously over her opened scroll, "what is this I hear about you having a protector and sensei?"

She blushed and Harry didn't let the smile show on his face. "I just don't...I can't." She looked up at him with teary eyes - little manipulator that she was. "Please, I want to be trained. I need to..." She looked back at the vacant and burned village. "I can't stay here and I can't go to another village and just pretend nothing happened. I need to get stronger." She looked at the graves. "I need to protect people. I have decided this, and you..." She seemed to gather her courage to look him in the face again. "You protected me, and I want to do the same. So, please, will you take me as your student?" Biwako bowed now, deeply, and Harry just wanted to run a hand over his face in denial.

He didn't know exactly what it was that attracted lost ducklings to him, but despite his better judgment he could never say no.

He gave a deep sigh and then looked down at her. "This is not some adventure that you are asking to go on. If you come with me it will be like nothing you have ever done before. I don't stay in one place long, I move quickly and through rough areas. You may go weeks with a proper baths and by no means will I be kind to you. You want me to be your teacher, yes, I suppose I could do that, but I don't know chakra or justsus like a shinobi would. You don't even know what you are asking me to teach you." He paused for a breath. "You could have it easy, Biwako. There are farming villages all around here who would gladly take you in. You could do anything with your life, even become a shinobi if that's what you truly desire. What I could teach you is not more important than that."

She crossed her arms again, but did seem to be considering his words.

Harry nodded at her and started to pack up his things again. They were a good walk away from the next village, but if they hurried they could reach it by nightfall. Someone would probably be awake there and would open their doors to Biwako.

He was still packing his things when Biwako came up next to him and started helping. He looked at her steadily, waiting for her to say something.

"I know what I want." Biwako choked out. "I...this place..." She wiped a tear from her face angrily and in its place was a stoic one that Harry knew all too well. "I know what I want, sensei. I want to help people. I know you can do that, because you helped me. I...my family would want me to stay safe. I can't think of a place I would be safer than by your side." She said in a very convince eight year old tone that made Harry want to ruffle her hair and tickle her and then force her into a village mother's arms, but Harry knew it wouldn't help. He had seen the same look on Hiruzen's face as he went in to take his genin test.

"Well then, if you are so determined, who am I to try and change your mind." Harry smiled slightly and then stood up. He placed a smaller pack on her shoulders and took the larger one himself. She looked surprised at the sudden move and then stared at the bag suspiciously.

Harry just laughed. "Young Biwwy, I knew what you were going to say before you even started thinking it. The bag is your first step to getting stronger. You best get used to it quickly, because it is going to be your new best friend." Harry smiled and then turned to look at the empty village. "You best say your goodbyes student, we won't be coming back here."

Harry watched as Biwako went over to her families graves, her father the leader of the village, her mother, her older sister and older brothers. She knelt by their headstones and said something that Harry couldn't hear. After a minute she stood up and bounded over to him, a serious look on her face.

"Looks like it's time to go." Harry placed his hand in hers and then started walking down the path to the forest.

"Hey, sensei," Biwako paused, "Um, what's your name again?"

Harry just laughed.

* * *

"SENSEI, GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" Biwako screamed from her upside down position attached to the tree limb. Harry merely smiled at her and continued sharpening his blade. He had gotten the machete like sword from one of the smaller towns in the Land of Iron. Samurai were better at keeping control of their land, but stiffer and not very good company in Harry's opinion.

He didn't spare a look for Biwako's stuck position in the tree. It was one of the many things that Harry had been trying to teach the almost ten year old. A year and a half on the road together made for some very interesting training tools, and really it was her own fault that she fell asleep on watch last night.

"I WILL POSION YOUR FOOD TONIGHT IF YOU DON'T!" She screeched much to Harry's amusement.

"If you want to get down so badly, cut yourself out."

"YOU STOLE MY KUNAI YOU BASTARD!"

"Oh? Did I?" Harry asked with mock sincerity. "I guess you'll just have to find some other way out then."

Biwako glared from her upside down position, but didn't say anything. It wasn't surprising that she was having troubles getting down, it was the point of this punishment. He had tied her hands together in such a way that it was difficult to move them, let alone make hand seals.

He watched in amusement as she curled in on herself to try and search her body for something he had left behind to help her. Harry envied the flexibility of youth.

"Hiruzen would have been out by now." Harry said idly trying to motivate her. It was a tactic he had used many times. For some reason Biwako had been jealous to learn that he had another student before her and was upset to learn that he had started learned earlier than she had. Ever since then Harry had tried to motivate her using the fake Hiruzen. She had never met the real Hiruzen, but still used the image of him as the stepping stone to her skills. Harry was sure that she would never have trained as hard as she did without the made up competition.

"SHUT UP! I'LL GET OUT IF YOU WOULD JUST BE QUIET FOR A SECOND." Harry smiled as she continued to struggle in her bonds more enthusiastically than before.

* * *

"Don't go in there." Harry advised ten year old Biwako who was about to walk into a brothel without even knowing it. The city of Kurons in the Land of Wind was known for its loose morals and gambling houses, but was one of the few towns that he had visited in the last six months that didn't look like it was preparing for war.

There were of course more guards at doorways, but not a single house had been boarded up. It made Harry feel normal.

"I don't like this place." Biwako said very decidedly, looking down at one of the scantily clad women.

"I didn't really expect you to." Harry said simply. "Though, it is someplace that we needed to go. You need to learn something here, and there will be someone here who can teach it to you."

"Teach me what? I don't think there is a single thing that I would want to learn from any of these people." She said with a sniff.

Harry sighed, "And that is the problem." She looked up at him confused. "Oh, don't look like that, almost everyone in this world thinks the same way. You look a shinobi as the answer to all of your problems, they are the ones that use chakra to the fullest so they are the only ones that know anything about it. Even you, who learned as a child to channel chakra to help in the fields. Do you think that you are the only one who uses chakra in such small ways?"

She looked at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that despite everything I have taught you, you still rely too much on jutsus to get a job done. Chakra is in everything, and therefore it can be manipulated in many different ways. Obvious ways, like jutsus." He glanced at the woman standing nearby and felt the tiny shift in the air. A man who was walking pass turned suddenly as if looking at the woman in a who new light. "Or, in subtle ways."

Biwako looked at the woman with dawning understanding.

"Did she just?"

"Yes, she did. It is a talent that is very specific to this region. I traveled through here once before and I was almost caught in its snare, like many others. It is the reason why this place is so very popular. The women that work in the houses know a small way to draw attention to themselves or away from themselves, by manipulating chakra. The first time I was slightly confused by it and if it can confuse me then in can confuse others. It is important to have many different aces in the sleeve."

Biwako nodded and her face gained a rather serious expression.

"I will learn it as quickly as possible." She sped off in the direction of one of the houses and Harry almost smacked his forehead. The enthusiasm was nice, but most of the time not thought through.

* * *

"Pass me the bandage." Harry franticly yelled over the make-shift gurney.

The man only had one eye left.

That was not even the worst of it. A gurgle of blood escaped the wound on the man's chest, a large slash from left shoulder to right hip was glushing blood to the floor.

"MOVE!" Harry yelled at the still shocked student of his. Seemingly frozen in the first few minutes after they had seen the man lying in the middle of the forest bleeding out.

The twelve year old shook her head to unfreeze herself. She opened her well-worn and loved pack in a rush. Almost 4 years on the road together had lead to constantly being prepared for most things so the first thing she pulled out of her bag was a first aid kit.

It had been an instance of Harry's that she carry it with her, even after she had started using healing jutsus. It was a habit from Earth after the first adventure with Hermione and Ron that had never gone away.

He pulled string and a needle roughly from the bag and started in on the man. He lost himself in the familiar movements of drawing string through flesh. He started paying attention to his surroundings just in time to franticly grab Biwako's glowing green hand.

"No! Save it." He told her forcefully. He pushed the hand away from the damaged body of the man.

Biwako just looked at him in blank horror. "What...what do you mean?"

Harry wiped a speck of blood off his cheek and nodded out the door of the rushed tent "There are going to be a pile of bodies out there. Each of them will need more help than we can rightly give. To save the majority we let a few suffer in their place." He looked down at the unconscious man on the table with a sigh. He picked up a large bandage from the bag and placed it over the hole where an eye had once lain. "This man will survive without healing chakra and we cannot waste what little we have." He looked sadly at the table then back out the door of the tent. "You will be glad for our stamina exercises today, you will be using all of the chakra you have."

He motioned for her to help him pick up the man and then placed him on a blanket on the floor of the tent.

"What are we...what do I need to do?" She seemed to gather herself and her courage.

Harry stopped for a moment to look at her, proud of the girl she had grown into. He reached over and placed his bloodied hands on her face. He looked her straight in the eyes and then kissed her forehead.

"We will be searching the forest for whoever is still alive. We bring them back here, regardless of who there are. This is about helping those that need it. We need to be quick and stealthy, don't draw the attention of the fighters. Don't get too close to battles," He paused in his lecture to look her sadly again, "Most of all, stay safe."

* * *

"We're losing him." Harry's gruff tone called out from deeper into the tent.

Biwako put down the lightening shinobi hazardously and went to go help, but was stopped by a weak hand clutching her trousers.

"Wh...ho ar.."At this point the shinobi in question started coughing up blood so Biwako placed a hand on his forehead and forced him into sleep. It was quickly becoming her best jutsu just because of all the practice she had with it today.

She wiped her hand on her bloody blouse to clean it up a little and then rushed into the tent - which was much larger than she remembered.

"Don't just stand there, I had to enlarge it to make sure that everyone fit. I also had to throw a notice-me-not over it, we're safe." He said not even looking up from his patient.

Biwako was still amazed every time he did magic in her presence. It was probably the way he was so casual about it, like it was an everyday thing to make the inside of a building larger than the outside - it wasn't. Biwako learned enough about chakra to know that it wasn't possible to do things that Harry did with a flick of his hand.

"I'm here." She told him standing on the other side of the oozing body. She blocked off her nostrils with a bit of chakra to keep the smell of decay from distracting her. "What do you need?"

"I need you to force the severed nerves in his left arm to reconnect." Harry said nonchalantly while forcing the mostly detached arm back onto the body. Harry's hands never glowed while healing people, but sometimes just by being around him people got better. Biwako ignored the thoughts drifting through her head and focused on the task at hand.

She put her hand on the seam between the body and the arm and pushed chakra into it. The reconnecting of nerves didn't take a lot of chakra, but it took an insane amount of control on the chakra that you did have. She mostly ignored the world around her while healing, it was the only way to get the job done. She relied on Harry to make sure nothing hurt her and lost herself in the body of another human.

It was easy to really, once you got used to the full immersion of it. Most people would never really understand the connection of chakra to the body except in a purely theoretical sense.

Healers didn't have that option. They had to know the ins and outs of anybody that they came across. Which first meant speeding a lot of time investigating your own body and then the bodies of others. The first thing that Harry had taught her to do to become a medic was teach her how to place her consciousness inside her chakra, to be able to see and influence exactly what it does. In the months after learning the technique it really seemed as if she spent more time traveling her own body than traveling outside of it.

Placing chakra inside her muscles or really anywhere else she wanted to put it was easy after that.

Then, the next step, putting her chakra in someone else's body to manipulate it - to heal.

There were no shortage of volunteers for practice, because no matter where they went there would always be injuries. The only person she hadn't practiced on had been the person closest to her. Not that she hadn't tried, but no matter how she tried to get into his body, there was always something blocking her.

It was then that she realized just how different her sensei was from the rest of the world. Harry didn't have chakra in his system, not that she could find. Instead, he had something similar, but very different. Chakra was the life force of the world, it was everywhere in all things - all things except Harry. The energy that he had was foreign and when he used it he didn't just manipulate a thing, he changed the very nature of it.

This was perhaps why chakra avoided him so, why she couldn't get near him to figure out how he ticked. Chakra was nature, and Harry was unnatural.

The first time she had ever seen him transfigure something - that's what he called it at least - she had been shocked and slightly sickened. The chakra in wooden cup had been forced to appear to be pillow until it wasn't really chakra anymore. It was only her advanced knowledge of chakra in the world that allowed her to see it. In a horrified tone she had asked if he could do it to her, make her something that was not her. The very idea of it was terrifying. It didn't become any less so when Harry had shrugged and said that he had never tried, but probably could.

She would never get used to the foreign energy that surrounded her sensei, but for some reason it always made her feel safe in its own way.

She pulled her mind back to the task at hand. The small slice of her chakra that was running down the length of the body and the length of the arm, placed inside the nerves and arteries and muscles. Then the tug, the pull to reconnect. Similar chakra wanted to group together and all it took was a tug from her to make it happen.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there.

The tide of the chakra in the body was consuming. There was a beauty in the push and pull of different body chakras. It welcomed her when she was helping it reconnect with itself, but after awhile it thought that it could do a better job than she could and tried to push her out. She had learned long ago to never push the natural inclinations of chakra unless someone was in dire peril. It was easier to go with the flow.

She was swaying lightly, coming back to herself slowly.

"Do...there...rem...nobi..." A man's voice, not familiar.

"I don't...permis...do what..." Another man's voice, very familiar, warm. She latched onto it, trying to follow it back to the real world.

"Ki...people...stop us." The other man sounded angry, he was yelling maybe.

"This is my... I won't allow you to..." Sensei - Harry- he also sounded angry, but more tired really. Unsurprising, he had been working at this longer than she had.

"I don't think you're really in a position to argue...We have your..." They had his what? Someone was threatening sensei, that couldn't be allowed, not after all that he had done for her. He had saved her that night. She could never repay him, but she would protect the kind man with everything she had. He was kind to everyone he met, no matter their station or nationality. She respected him more than anyone she had ever met. She had to protect him from these men... if only she could focus.

"I'm warning you once to let her go. I've healed all those that have come across my path, I will not allow you to kill my patients..." Wait, let who go? There was a hostage? Her rage was sudden and fierce. She had carried these mean all across the forest to this tent, like hell she would let anyone of them die on her watch. Hostage - she needed to save.

She forced her body to reconnect to her mind, rougher that usual - rushed.

She gasped a little and then - the world shifted. A man's hand was on her arm, a blade on her throat - lightly pressed - not doing damage. A presences behind her, arms free to move quickly if she needed to. She must had been floating in the chakra for a long time to not have noticed this. They didn't think she was dangerous, that was plainly obvious - and very mistaken. Biwako had been training with Harry for four years, she knew what she was doing.

The tips of her index and middle finger tucked into the belt at her waist. She pulled a kunai from the pocket with the least amount of movement possible. She didn't open her eyes, but carefully released chakra into her surroundings to get a feel of her surroundings.

Madam Juiknama had been a harsh mistress while teaching her the chakra manipulation of Kurons. She had never been more glad for the lessons though.

All it took was a slight manipulation of the chakra around her, to make people stop paying attention to her. It was similar to what Harry referred to as a notice-me-not charm, Biwako had thought it appropriate.

She gripped her kunai tighter, and then opened her eyes.

The tent was the same as it had been when she started on the patient, it looked full, but with enough space between patients to get to people quickly. Most of the injured shinobi were unconscious still. Half of the shinobi had the mark of Kumogakure, the village hidden in clouds, lightening shinobi, the other half had a swirly leaf design, Konohagakure, the village hidden in the tree leaves, shinobi of the Land of Fire.

As far as she could tell it was the Kumo shinobi that were causing the problem. The man holding onto her was still bandaged down his arm as far as she could tell, which meant that he had woken up and reacted badly to being surrounded by enemies. This flashed by with one important piece of information - his arm was weak.

She wasted no more time. She pushed the blade off her neck and in a flurry reversed the grip he had on her arm. A bend the wrong way to force him to release his weapon. Using the body against itself - the first thing Harry had taught her.

It all happened so fast and before the Kumo shinobi could do anything Biwako's hand was on the back of his neck. Biwako grimaced at the tug on her chakra as she put the man to sleep again, she was starting to run low. She let the man fall to the ground limp once she was sure he was unconscious.

She rubbed her arm absentmindedly, it must have been bruised by the man's grip. She was still grimacing as she looked up at her sensei.

There was a man laying on the bed near the down, Harry was standing over him with a small proud smile on his face looking at her. She nodded to him with a smile and then looked to the man he was protecting.

It only took a glimpse of red armor plating and a very distinctive family symbol for her eyes to widen in horror.

She franticly bowed low to the ground, despite never having seen the man before she knew exactly who he was, "Hokage-sama."

The man had a large swath of bandages across his chest, most of them dyed blood red much to her horror.

"Biwako, come meet the Hokage." Harry waved at her casually, like it was an everyday thing to meet the leader of a shinobi village - though knowing her sensei like she did, maybe he did. She moved closer tentatively, not wanting to disturb the powerful man. Harry just smiled at her and dragged her over once she was in range. "Hashirama-sama, this is my student Biwako."

"Hari-san, Biwako-chan, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Biwako didn't know what to say, couldn't say anything really. In fact, she was pretty sure she had forgotten how to speak. She gave a little nod and then focused her attention on something other than his face, because looking at that was definitely a bad idea. She focused on something easier, something that wouldn't freak her out - the large chest wound.

"Hashirama-sama, how is your day going?" Harry asked like they were taking a casual stroll, not in the middle of a medic tent off a battle.

The Hokage gave a laughing coughing that immediately endeared him to her. "I've been better, Hary-san. How has your day been?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Harry moved to the other side of the make shift table to give the man some air. Biwako got a better look at the wound on his chest and gasped in horror. Something had cleaved his chest almost in half, it was a surprise that he was even still alive, let alone joking. "Biwako, I'm going to need you to stabilize..."

"No! No, you shouldn't. Save yourself for someone who can actually survive. There are many more that are more deserving than I."

"Hokage-sama, kindly shut up and let us do our jobs. No one is going to die today on my watch." Harry almost growled as he bent over the powerful shinobi's chest.

The Hokage grabbed Harry's hand in some sort of effort to stop him. "Hari-san, I am serious. My shinobi are more important than I. My brother is more than capable of taking over my post and Mito..." He coughed again and sadness crept into his eyes. "There is honor to dying in battle."

"That's an honor I'm afraid you will have to miss out on." Harry said very seriously. He then reached over and placed one of Biwako's hands on the Hokage's forehead. Biwako knew what he wanted, but didn't really want to comply. Who was she to be putting shinobi leader's to sleep? Nevertheless, she followed Harry's order. The light green escaped from her hand and immediately the man relaxed.

Harry sighed and then pushed his hair back, "I need you to stabilize him while I work. Make sure he doesn't die, keep the blood moving and the heart beating. If you can do that than I can take care of the rest." He said that like it wasn't the hardest thing he had ever asked of her.

"Sensei, I don't know if I can. This is..."

"I know it's a tough job, and I know exactly who it is I'm asking you to work on. We are the only ones here Biwako, the only ones capable of this. So, we will do it. Do you understand?" Biwako looked at Harry's serious face and hardened her resolve. "Gather yourself, we will need all of the concentration you have to survive this night."

Biwako nodded and looked to the body in front of her. This wasn't the Hokage, this was a dying man who needed her help and she was fully prepared to give it.

She placed her hand on his chest, pushed chakra into it, and then she was gone.

* * *

Harry placed the sleeping child onto the bed outside of the tent. She deserved a good rest after the past few days. Hashirama had been one of the hardest patients he had ever had and at times it even seemed as if he was meant to die, but Harry didn't abide that thought.

It was his duty to change the fate of a world and that included saving people that were meant to die.

It had been a slight game of his to see if he could think of the things that he had changed just by being around. People's entire lives could change because of single instances. He could save people from death, but even just teaching them something they hadn't known before could be possibly life atlering.

Harry didn't know if saving Hashirama changed anything, maybe he was always meant to have been saved and even if Harry hadn't found him then maybe someone else might have. Of course, it did make him feel better to feel wanted. He had saved a lot of people today, people that would have died. It gave him a rush of satisfaction like nothing else.

He pulled the blanket over Biwako's body and then walked back in the tent. The patients were in two rows on each side of the tent. One side had those from Kumo, the other side had those from Konoha - including Hashirama. After the hostage situation Harry had put up some more obvious wards. Those from one village would not be able to see or interact with those from the other.

He sighed a little as he walked the rows between the patients. Almost thirty bodies from two villages. People that were so convicted of their own ideals that they were willing to give everything to the competition of those goals.

Something didn't feel right about this. No matter how he thought about it, something about these ongoing skirmishes between villages was wrong. It wasn't full out war yet, but that didn't mean people weren't dying. As far as he could tell there wasn't any real reason for them to be fighting except that it was all they had ever done before.

Harry had spent almost six years on the road now, Hiruzen would be fourteen now, he thought sadly. Biwako would like him, Harry was sure. Well, would have liked him as a child. Harry had no idea what that smiling young boy had turned into after all these years in service to the village.

Harry went from patient to patient making sure that all of them would survive the night. It wasn't that hard to place monitoring spells on the men, but it made him feel more secure if he checked all of them personally. He smiled at the two men than Biwako had healed completely by herself. It was weird to think that a 12 year old had saved lives, but this was a completely world from the one that he had grown up in.

Harry settled in to a seat next to Hashirama. He was by far the patient that needed the most attention, which meant that either Harry or Biwako constantly kept watch over him. He sighed again and leaned back trying to relax his tense muscles.

"Rough day, Hari-san?" Harry jumped and looked at Hashirama in shock.

"You are not supposed to be up yet." Harry told him seriously. He bent over the man and started checking bandages. "Are you in any pain?"

"Much less than I should be. I told you not to save me." Hashirama stared him down seriously. "Thank you for ignoring me."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Your village needs you. You are the creator of Konoha, you aren't allowed to go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe this is something that you shinobi need to learn, leaders don't go into battles, not unless they absolutely have to. It is the duty of a leader to survive every battle, it is their jobs to pull everyone together afterwards. It is unfortunate that the only people that really want to be leaders are self-sacrificing idiots." Pot calling the kettle black, really. Harry sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He like Hashirama, but the man had almost died today in a small skirmish that he never should have been in.

"Hari-san, why are you doing this?" Harry looked at the man to see him looking at the beds around him.

"I like saving people, Hokage-sama, it's a character flaw." He answered with a grief filled smile, it was the entire reason he was in this mess to begin with.

"I don't think so. I own you my life, Hari-san. I am in your debt."

Harry laughed, what was he going to do with someone's debt? "You want to do something for me, Hashirama-sama? Get yourself better bodyguards."

The shinobi smiled at him a little and then leaned back to relax. "Thank you." He sighed.

"Hashirama-sama, who did this to you?" Harry pointed to his chest.

"An old friend I am afraid." He looked grief-stricken as he admitted it. "I am beginning to think he is the cause of all my resent troubles."

"Madara Uchiha?" Harry asked, remembering the name from Misuo's ranting.

Hashirama nodded sadly. "Madara-san was a close friend for awhile, but he became obsessed with power. He blinded his brother in his quest for power and still can't let it go. I did my best to save him, but he never wanted my help. His paranoia made him see everyone around him as an enemy." Hashirama looked away from Harry towards the ceiling of the tent. "I cannot help someone who doesn't want to help themselves, and I fear the worse. I fear his insanity has taken over his common sense and he will draw the villages into a war."

"Is that why you sent the tailed beasts to the other villages?" Harry asked sincerely. It was one of the worst kept secrets in the shinobi world. Hashirama had spread the tailed beasts through the other powerful shinobi villages, at the time Harry hadn't understood, but he was starting to get it. "You thought if they felt secure in their own power you could prevent war."

"Mito, chose the life of a prison for herself. I will never forgive myself for forcing that life on others that don't chose it, but I had to think of my village above all." The man was old in terms of shinobi years, but was only actually 29 years old, not even middle aged in Earth's terms. In those moments, however, he looked ancient.

Harry sat back in his chair and sighed. "Tell me truthfully Hokage-sama, do you really think that Madara is the only one to blame?"

Hasirama's face turned away from him. "As much as I would love to blame Madara for all my recent troubles, no, he is not the only one at fault for the oncoming war. The clans used to have battles all of the time when they were feeling stronger or weaker than before. It is in a shinobi's mindset to kill those of threat to him. The villages are simply thinking on a larger scale. Madara might be an excuse, but there is not a single Kage who wasn't already thinking of it. The tailed beasts were a delay tactic really, but perhaps the wrong sort." He rubbed his eyes. "My only consolation is that they won't be able to use that power in the oncoming war."

Harry scowled. "They are thinking long-term, not this war, but the next."

"Next?" Hashirama gave a morbid laugh. "That's assuming we all survive this one. Shinobi haven't worked together on this large of a scale before there is just a big of a chance of wiping out your allies as your enemies."

"Don't start doubting the ingenuity of people Hokage-sama, if there is one thing that they are good at it is surviving against all odds. As I'm sure your friend Madara has taught you." Harry told him. "You shinobi are very good at slipping away right at the cusp of death, as I am sure you are now aware." Harry said pointedly to the man who had just survived his own brush with death.

"I just want peace Hari-san, for all villages. I fear that I have only caused more violence in my life. Maybe creating the village was a bad idea, it stopped clan wars and started even worse ones." The man sounded despondent. "Even the clans in the village still doesn't work together. The Hyuga and the Uchiha are sticking in their own districts, never even touching the village as a whole. The Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka have been the closest allies even before the village and still they almost never let the rest of the village see them in action. Was I mistaken in the belief that we could work together, too caught up in my own ideals to see the world for what it is. How was I ever so stupid to believe that shinobi could learn to trust anyone?" The man ranted.

Harry listened silently, he had no advice to give this dejected man.

"Even my own clan, Senju, have started thinking themselves better than the rest of the village merely because of me and Tobirama. I never wanted this. How can we possibly fight a war when we are all so divided?" He stopped for a breath.

Harry let the silence rest for a second before responding. "You have more to bargain with that you might first assume."

"What?" Hashirama looked at him in confusion.

"You want your clans joined then you must do something about it. I will not lie, war is a good enough binder of men as anything, so is the loss of a leader..." Harry looked pointedly at him again. Showing that he had seen through some of the Senju's reasoning for trying to die. He was not so ignorant as to ignore the Senju clan's renown healing abilities - that Hashirama hadn't even tried to use to stall his own death."But it is not the sort of bindings that you really want. All of the trenches between your clans can be mended and a war is not necessary for any of it. The bonds made between men fighting on the same side of a war can be some of the most binding and long lasting, but you have already said yourself that they don't trust each other. War bonds are caustic, made between individuals and not clans. After the war is over there is no guarantee that the clans will continue to work together well. You have an opportunity to change the nature of your clans, to change the village for the better." Harry looked at him in the eyes. "Tell me this, why are you declaring Tobirama-sama as your successor?"

Hashirama looked taken aback. "I...He is my brother. I know how powerful he is, how worthy of the position. The people like him, just like they do me. He is the most reasonable choice."

"Is he the strongest after you in the village?" Harry asked seriously.

"Well...yes, I think so." He paused in thought. "Maybe the Uchiha clan head, or the Hyuga could beat him in a battle every once and a while, but it would depend on the settings."

"So you admit to two of your clans having acceptable replacements for Hokage, and yet you choice your own brother. Why?"

"I just...Uchiha-sama and Hyuga-sama are strong shinobi, but they are too clan focused. They would only be looking out for their own clans good, not the good of the village. Uchiha and Hyuga are too isolated they don't interact with civilians or other clans." The man looked saddened by this. "The Hokage needs to put the village before everything and I can't be sure that the clan leaders would..."

"That's the problem then. For all your complaining about the clan leaders being isolationist and not connecting with the village it is you who is holding them back. Take the Uchihas, you keep judging the family on the flaws of one man. They chose you didn't they? Despite the fact that Madara had lead them many years as head of the clan, they chose you over him for Hokage. That has to mean something and yet you can only see them through the lens Madara put over your eyes." Harry looked at him seriously. This might not exactly be the problem, but if he could help this one village than maybe he could help others. "It is you who is at fault here Hashirama-sama. You are treating this village like it is your clan, and you are putting in your place as Hokage your clan heir."

"That's not true, Hiruzen..." The Hokage look bewildered.

"Oh, so the boy you are training to take over your position, who you would have adopted into your own family if Sasuke-san hadn't been a model shinobi in his own right." Harry said seriously. "Your flaw is that you can't see past your own family. It was apt for you to try and make the rest of the clans part of your family, but you see everyone that tries to keep their distinctive history to themselves as somehow at fault. The clans joined you, Hashirama-sama, and yet you don't seem to trust them. Maybe it is you that is at fault for your current clan troubles." Hashirama was in stunned silence. Harry shrugged. "Well, what do I know."

He stood up and stretched.

"What do you suppose I do then?" The defensive voice asked.

"I don't know, Hashirama-sama, that is up to you, but I would do something fast. I have been traveling for many years now Hokage-sama, and do you want to know what I see?" Harry asked seriously.

"What?"

"Discontent." Harry tightened the bandages on one of the Konoha shinobi. "Discontent breeds ill-will. There are not many people happy with this change in circumstance. Bandits and other criminals could get away with much during clan times, but now there is something there wasn't before. The hidden villages provide protection to the small villages everywhere, and yet right now they only seem to want to have a pissing contest with each other. The civilians aren't happy which makes the daimyo not happy which conversely makes the shinobi not happy. You need to make peace with the other villages, say you aren't looking for a fight." Harry told him seriously. "People are scared of the hidden villages, they don't know what to expect. There have only ever been clans lightly spread around and now there are armies of people that can do unnatural things running across their homes like it is nothing. People have seen nothing good come from the changes the hidden villages have created, just more murder and mayhem."

"I cannot change the minds of men so easily as you might have assumed. I am still one man." Hashirama spoke seriously.

"The people like you Hashirama-sama, that is not the case of all the Kage out there. Which means that you have a chance now to do something with that good will. Even the other Kage respect you." Harry paused at the noise from outside, but then continued. "You have the power to change things, Hashirama-sama, and the responsibility to use that power. That is why I saved you, because of all the people that can spot the war, you are the only one I believe truly could."

"You are mistaken." Hashirama saddened at the words. "It is inevitable. The Kage of the other villages want it to happen, so it will. One person cannot stop a war."

Harry couldn't contain the snort that escaped him. If that were true than he wouldn't even be here right now.

"You aren't even trying."

"There are advantages to war."

"Then you are with them? You want war?" Harry said with a raised eyebrow, setting himself in front of the door of the tent.

Hashirama didn't answer.

"Well, it is set then. If you don't want it to stop, then that's what you will have." Spoke Harry's monotone voice.

"You are trying to simplify it too much."

"It is simple." Harry didn't look back at the man. "Either you want war and you let it happen, or you don't want war and you do something to stop it." Harry didn't move as the flap to the ten opened. "It seems as though our conversation is over unfortunately, Hashirama-sama. I believe your fellow shinobi are here."

The white haired man that entered the tent was more than familiar to Harry.

"Hari-san, it has been awhile since I have seen you."

"Tobirama-sama, is your loyal team around?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Yes, they're wandering around somewhere. Ahh.." He seemed to spot his brother behind Harry because within the next few seconds he was standing right next to him.

"I'll leave you to it, I'm sure you have some things to talk about." Harry smiled at the picture the two brothers made then exited the tent.

He was greeted by the amusing sight of his apprentice glaring at a much taller Hiruzen. The girl was holding a kunai in her hand and had placed herself in a fighting stance.

"Put that away before you hurt yourself." Hiruzen was fourteen years old, and had a new accessory. The chunin vest still looked a little big on his frame, but he seemed used to it. He dug a finger into his ear - relaxed.

"Don't ignore me! I am more than capable of protecting sensei."

Hiruzen looked the twelve-year old up and down, then snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

As Biwako growled Harry decided it was time for him to show himself to the teens. "Monkey, stop annoying my apprentice." Harry smiled as Hiruzen snapped out of his relaxed stance and whipped to him in surprise.

"Hari..." Harry could barely keep track of him and within two seconds the boy was crashing into him.

"Hiruzen-kun, it's good to see you too." Harry smiled at the boy as his arms encircled his waist.

"Hari."

"Yes, that is me." Harry gave the boy a quick squeeze and then pushed him away. "Let me look at you. Ahh, what's this?" Harry pulled up on the shoulder of his vest.

Hiruzen blushed slightly, but smiled brightly. "Okaasan misses you."

"I miss Misuo too. How is everyone?"

"Danzo made chunin a year after me and my team. Otousan has been on many missions recently."

"You haven't?" Harry asked the boy amused. Hiruzen blushed.

"I have been out of the village many times for missions, but not as many as some. Tobirama-sensei and Hashirama-sama have been keeping me busy training though." The boy's eyes darkened at this. "How is Hashirama-sama?"

Harry grimaced. "He wasn't in good shape last night, but thanks to Biwako he should heal up nicely. I do worry that he won't fully heal though. He might never be able to go back on active duty." Harry glanced at the tent. "Might be for the best though. I've never been of the opinion that the leader should be in the field."

"Who's Biwako?"

"Ah, you've already met her. Biwako!" Harry waved to the girl over one shoulder. The twelve year old appeared by his side in a second still glaring at her rival.

"_This _is your apprentice?" He looked her up and down again. "Doesn't look like much."

Harry laughed. "Neither did you the first time we met, and yet here you are with a chunin vest looking like you could take on the world without sweat."

"That's mostly thanks to Koharu and Homura. I would never have gotten this far without them." Hiruzen said without pause. "They are patrolling to make sure that the area is clear."

"An important job." Harry nodded at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen looked at the tent and then back to Harry.

"Will you come back to the village with us?" Hiruzen asked softly.

Tobirama exited the tent with a exasperated look on his face. Harry grimace again, "I'm sorry, monkey, I don't think so."

"Hiruzen, summon you monkeys we need some help getting these people back to Konoha." Tobirama almost shouted at him.

Hiruzen gave a confused and saddened look to Harry and a nod to Biwako before running off to his sensei.

Harry looked after him dismayed, but shook it off. Hiruzen's sensei had to be the most important person to him, he understood that. He looked down at Biwako who was staring at Hiruzen in a confused manner.

"You like him?"

Biwako snapped to him in shock. "What? NO! Of course not." She glanced back to him. "I just might not hate him, is all."

Harry smiled down at her.

* * *

"Did you hear? The Hokage is stepping down to let his brother fill his shoes." The men were sitting at the bar gossiping to each other. Harry was eavesdropping from a few seats away.

It had been almost two years since the last time he had seen Hashirama. Something from their conversation must have stuck because despite all indicators to the contrary no war had started between the hidden villages, at least no obvious ones. No matter how much the shinobi might protest otherwise their fights were always fairly obvious - well, the aftermath told a good story.

"After all that politicking it was about time." His bar companion grumbled. "They took so long just dancing around the announcement. First it was Uchiha, then Hyuga, then Nara, back the Senju, Hyuga again, I mean seriously."

"I hear it was put to a vote in the village. All the shinobi of Konohagakure got together and voted." The man shuddered.

"Better hope the Tsuchikage doesn't hear you. He would be furious if anyone implied that he might need to step down to a more youthful shinobi. That old man is as stubborn as a rock. If anyone suggested the next Kage be put to a vote him would grind them into dust." The two Iwagakure residents laughed.

Harry had arrived in Iwa with Biwako about a week ago. They had spent most of the week in the hospital helping out. Biwako was turning into a very skilled medic and defender under Harry's tutelage. The fourteen year old currently sat across from him moaning into a glass of sake.

"Sensei, everything hurts." She let her head thump on the table beside her.

"Good, it means you are learning."

"I don't think so. I think it means you are really good at torture."

Harry smiled down at her aching form. "That too I suppose."

"...Madara acting up again." Harry immediately tuned into their conversation again at the name.

"Shut up, we can't talk about that here."

"Bah, it's just a civilian bar, no one is going to know what we are talking about or even listen in. Besides I want to hear your opinion on this."

"On what?" The other man was leaning into the first now. Despite his refusal he was just as interested in Madara as the first one.

"So apparently he came into town a few days back to talk to the Tsuchikage." The man gasped.

"To say what?"

"Warn him, some say, others say to threaten him. Last time he visited was a couple years back, but ever since the Hokage distanced himself from Madara the man has been treated as kind of a joke or a pariah." The first man took a sip of his drink and Harry saw the shine of a tucked away hitai-ate, shinobi. "Anyway, he comes into town looking to make some chaos and Tsuchikage-sama throws him out after the conversation."

"He could do that?" The second shinobi asked.

"Took two squads of elites to make him leave." The first man said knowledgably.

"I'm amazed he got away with it."

"Yeah well, seeing as our current peace lasts only as long as everyone keeps minding their own business and Madara definitely isn't Iwa business."

"I don't know about that. Madara made himself everyone's business. Senju is the only one who has ever stood up to him and lived. Tsuchikage-sama tried once and ended up in the hospital for two weeks." The shinobi took a sip of his sake. "As long as he is around making trouble there will never be peace between villages."

"You really think that?" The first shinobi asked the man.

"Who knows what to really think. The man is a menace, made obvious by the fact that Tsuchikage-sama threw him out. He's a powerful menace though, which makes it worse." The man threw back the rest of his drink. "This is much to heavy conversation for tonight. It isn't up to us to stop the man, greater men have tried and failed."

"I suppose your right." The first man threw back his drink as well and stood up. "So are you going to join the competition group." The two of them exited the bar after that sentence and Harry came back to his own table.

"...sensei?" Where apparently someone was trying to get his attention. "Are you paying attention?" No, he was worrying about the orders he just received. "What orders?"

Harry jerked up, he had said that aloud without even meaning to. "Ah, don't worry about it Biwako. Just a trip I have to make soon."

Biwako was looking at him confused. "What trip?" They had just arrived in Iwa after all. They usually stayed a week in a place before moving on.

"You are going back to Konoha."

"We're going to visit Hiruzen?" The excited happy tone of her voice almost made him chuckle. It wasn't too long ago that the girl glared at even the mention of his name, but after they had met on a mission two months ago they had become close friends. Harry had never learned what really went down those two weeks, but the fifteen and fourteen year old had come out of it acting like best friends.

"You are." Harry told her seriously. He wasn't lying about the orders.

"You aren't?" She asked confused.

"No, I've got other business." Harry stood up. "Meet you back at the hotel."

Harry had some things to think about.

Biwako's confused, "Sensei?" followed him to the street.

Harry sighed and looked at the clear night sky. Nowhere on Earth had there been such a perfect view of all the stars in the sky, pollution had made sure of that. It did make him homesick though, because the perfect view of the sky only served to remind him that it wasn't _his_ sky.

"Is this what you want from me? To kill his Madara character?" Harry asked the sky seriously. The gods - or whoever it was the held his contract - never could speak to him directly. Which made for some very awkward jobs and many mistakes - at first. After awhile though, Harry had gotten accustomed to people have conversations about things they generally shouldn't in the nearby vicinity of him. At first he had thought it merely luck, but figured after a few universes of the same routine what exactly was going on.

If whoever it was thought that he was taking too long they would send him a sign. It would usually tell him what they wanted him to do. It also usually meant the end of his stay on a world.

The phrase that bounded his contract was vague, 'where he was needed', could change in the middle of a job. Which meant that to hurry him along they would take to dropping hints.

Uchiha Madara, Harry had run into his name enough times to figure out the connection. Madara was making trouble in this world and would continue making trouble until he somehow upset the balance of nature. Harry knew this because that is what always happened. The only times he was ever called to a world was when the very structure - the nature - of that world was being twisted.

The people that meddled in that sort of thing and thought they could get away with it were powerful and disturbed. Generally they didn't think about the consequences of the rest of the universe, because in an ecosystem based on balance a single piece thrown off could cause the entire house to crumble. Harry was the preventative measure to that. He was the piece that went to make sure those worlds got back into place, the handyman of the universe- or gods, or whoever it was that made sure everything was going according to plan.

Which meant that this Madara person was messing in some pretty bad things.

Harry sighed and rubbed the invisible pain out of his joints. His body wasn't old, but his mind caused everything to feel weighed down. He was a senior citizen in a toddlers body.

He made his way back to the hotel slowly trying to think of something to say to Biwako.

* * *

Harry looked up at - _red eyes, spinning_ - the crater he had made. He was dirty and bruised and covered in half healed scratches, but he was alive - not that there was any hope of something different - and that was more than he could say for his opponent.

Harry forced his tired head to the side to look at the corpse of the man who had caused all this damage - _Black hair and red swirling eyes versus black hair and sharp green eyes, clean clothes and armor, weapons tucked away nicely - _torn in half, or maybe more than that, pieces of his bottom half were spread across the crater.

The two mile wide crater had been caused - _green and red and gold and silver swirled, chaos by definition, and black consumed. Not quick enough though and too much. The sucking was overpowered, ground began to shake beneath his feet -_ by a rather spectacular collision of magic and chakra.

Madara hadn't held back, neither had Harry of course. Madara was a worthy opponent - _a sword made of fire flashed into his vision, making him duck_ - one of the finest he had ever faced. It was unfortunate - _Harry pushed his hand onto the Uchiha chest, forcing a bludgeoner charm under the skin_ - that Harry didn't play fair.

Harry's rather unique healing ability -_ the laughing man mocked, "Did you think that would..." green eyes sparkled and blood unspilled from his neck, leg reattached, arm unbroken - _was the real winner of the fight, like most of his fights. Harry wiped away some of the blood dripping into - _speed, faster than sound or light or anything he had ever encountered before...it wouldn't save him - _his eye. It took pretty much all of the energy he could -_ the red eyes were dead, the body just didn't know it yet. Still moving slashing, trying to finish him if it was the_ _- _ muster just to try to sit up.

He looked down at the rags on his body trying to remember if they - _feet aching and pushing on the ground, no, not the ground. It was part ground though, it must have been with all the rocks and the fire shooting from its eyes_ - started like that. He didn't think they had, but his brain wasn't -_ thrust, block, spin, counter, slash, slash, parry, push, flick, swish, slash, thrust, twist, hit, whack, slash, cut, block, counter, counter, counter, parry, thrust, blood everywhere...not his_ _ -_ responding to him like it normally did. At least he - _don't stop, can't stop, no choice_ - hoped that it normally didn't do this.

Looking at the crater, that was what - _"You think _you_ can stop me?" the man was laughing, he shouldn't have been_ - he was doing, right? It was pretty - _the malicious red eyes wouldn't stop spinning, pushing into his mind. They didn't belong there though, so he pushed them out -_ in a destructive way. He tried to remember what it looked like before - _the trees in the clearing were rustling, such a beautiful day for a fight._ The rain started to fall on his half sitting form, it felt nice.

He looked around at the body next to - _such a magnificent presence Madara possessed because if Voldemort, and everyone after him, had taught him anything it was to appreciate the beauty in such madness _ - him. The eyes were no longer red - _blood red, everywhere in his mind. Covering Biwako, Misuo, Hiruzen, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Ravois, Hubris, General Gnensansf, Kaisi, Loankil, FoorensFredGeorgeHashi _ - but a nice brown, they were just as dead though. He wondered idly - _his leg was still oozing blood after the reattachment, but he wouldn't die because of it, he laughed_ - if all Uchiha had such nice eyes when they weren't trying to kill you.

He relaxed back onto the ground then - _gushing from his hands, the bright silver stag filled the sky, pushing away crows, happy thoughts only _- he didn't have enough energy to do anything but that. He would only rest a few - _the man stepped into the clearing, smiling at him, or maybe baring his teeth at the challenge_ - minutes and then he would apparate. He need to get back to - _the curse was working, it hit the bottom half of his still moving body, tearing, ripping, shredding_ - Konoha.

He had to - _say goodbye, please don't take me, I need to say goodbye, I need to say goodbye, Ineedtosaygoo..._

* * *

Harry flew to the ground boneless in front of a dazed Biwako - he had made it.

"SENSEI?" Why was she yelling, was something wrong. Harry tried to look at his surroundings unsuccessfully, he had to save her, he could do that if only... "Don't move okay?" That was a nice hand, cold against his burning forehead. "Hiruzen I need you to get me some burn salve."

"Is someone hurt?" Someone slurred out, it kind of sounded like him so it might have been.

"Yes, sensei, someone is very hurt, but I will take care of them." She was watery, sad, that wasn't right. Biwako should never be sad, not after everything. "HIRUZEN!"

"Here! Here take it." Something was getting pushed into his mouth. "The pill should help revive him." That voice also sounded familiar, Harry smiled, surrounded by friends, what a perfect way to go. Go...where was he going again?

"You need to swallow sensei. It will help, I'm sure of it. I designed it just for you, to make sure that you would be safe. Do you remember that?" Biwako still sounded distressed, but serious too, her healer tone. He did remember something like that, Biwako spending months trying to figure out a way to heal Harry, Harry had thought it a waste a first because he wasn't going to be around all that long, but after thinking about it some more he decided it was good practice.

Harry gasped as the rushed of energy flooded is body. He felt more alive than he had in four days, ever since the start of the battle with Madara.

"I have something for you." His voice was gruff and everything still felt sore, but he ignored it to pull a scroll from his bag. He handed it to Hiruzen with as much of a grin as he could muster under the circumstances, he didn't really feel all that happy. Hiruzen looked taken aback at the scroll - the kind that held dead bodied. "It's really for the Hokage, or is it just Hashirama now? Is Tobirama the new..."

"Sensei, shut up and don't move! Pay attention to me, I trying to save..."

The coughing chuckle made his sore throat ache, feeling as if he was hacking up bits of himself, he decided not to do that again. "You can't do anything for me right now my beautiful little apprentice."

"Yes I can! If you just..."

"No," He looked at her sadly, "there isn't enough time." Because the tugging was getting worse. The nausea had started two hours ago, he didn't have much time left now. "Ten years wasn't enough time."

"Sensei, why are you talking about time?" Biwako sounded so confused, distressed.

"I don't have enough, not enough, never enough." He wouldn't get to see Misuo again. It wasn't enough time.

"You have plenty of time, sensei. I'll make sure of it." She sounded so sure, he liked that. He rubbed a bloodied hand onto her face.

"I wish you could. I wish I didn't have to go."

"GO? You aren't going anywhere, you staying right here, with me and Hiruzen and..."

"Hiruzen?" Harry looked upwards at the boy, remembering that he was still in the area, that was nice, surrounded by friends was a perfect way to, he shook his head. He was still kind of out of it after the battle. Harry pulled the boy down to the ground and hugged him. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Hari." The boy sounded so distraught.

"NO YOU WON'T! NO ONE WILL MISS ANYONE! YOU AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE!" Biwako sounded more like she was trying to convince herself at this point.

"I don't want to go." Harry said seriously, staring into the boy's eyes trying to make him understand that he didn't have a choice. Hiruzen nodded with watery eyes and then backed away. Biwako was looking between the two of them worried.

"Sensei?" The voice was small, worried, upset.

"Come here little one." Fourteen was too young to lose anyone really, eight was even worse. Harry pulled the girl to the ground next to him and wrapped an arm loosely around her body. "I'll miss you more than anyone, understand?"

"Please don't leave..." Biwako's voice wobbled, wavering with tears.

"I don't get to chose little one, or else I would never leave. Maybe that it why they pull me, because they know I would never leave of my own free will."

"Who are they?" She sounded slightly angry now with the tears, because if there was someone to fight she could do something about the feelings. Harry would have laughed if he didn't remember how much that had hurt before.

"Not exactly sure myself..." He told her truthfully because there was no reason to lie now.

"Sensei..." The voice was pleading, praying, hoping. Harry tried to hold on, really he did, but there was no use fighting the pull of the contract.

"I love you all." Harry's eyes turned upwards trying to take in as much as possible before the pull. It wasn't very often that he got to be surrounded by family when the pull happened, he intended to treasure it. He took one last look at the first boy he had ever met and the apprentice that he had spent so much time with. He focused on them in his mind, putting them into the part of the heart that was saved for family and loved ones left behind.

He gaze then turned to the surrounding village, at the wooden buildings on dirt roads surrounded by anachronistic electricity poles and almost laughed.

He had ended up exactly where he started, that was just...

* * *

The crying was definitely the worst part of the birthing process Hiruzen decided as he blew his nose and wiped the remaining tears from his face. The Hokage should never be this emotional, too bad he had skipped that day of the Academy.

"She's just so beautiful." Hiruzen held up his handkerchief against the rush of water from his eyes.

"Quit crying so much, you are the Hokage, start acting like it. You didn't even birth the thing." Biwako looked at her husband with soft eyes and down at the life they had made.

"Our daughter is beautiful, she is no _thing_." Hiruzen scolded her mockingly. He knew how much she had wanted this - how much _they_ had wanted this.

"Men are such weaklings." Biwako waved her hand at him and kept her eyes upon the baby girl.

"That's not true!" Hiruzen protested weakly.

"Hmm, maybe you're right. There was one man who was worth his weight." Biwako said seriously while waving her fingers over the baby's grinning face.

"I am sure he would be proud of his namesake." Hiruzen said with kind eyes, knowing just how much his wife still missed her old sensei.

"That's right Hari-chan isn't it? You will be a great kunoichi and cause your father all sorts of trouble."

"Like she could." Hiruzen scoffed, but grinned when his wife gave him a fond look.

"I want another one." Biwako smiled at her husband chocking on nothing. "A boy this time."

"Fine." Hiruzen said after a minute. "But I get to name him."

"And what exactly will you name him, husband-mine?"

"Asuma." Hiruzen nodded to himself. It was a proper name for a boy.

Biwako grabbed his hand and clutched it. "Sounds great to me." Hiruzen smiled at her. "Just remember if he turned out anything like that Minato child it was your fault."

Hiruzen groaned, "Don't remind me. I don't know what I was thinking assigning Jiraiya a team."

"You were trying to make him more respectable if I remember correctly. That or trying to punish him." Biwako grinned at him.

"Tobirama-sensei should have been more forceful in his advice not to chose him, sometimes I am my own worst enemy." Hiruzen kissed Biwako on the sweaty cheek.

"Don't worry darling, I'll protect you from yourself." Biwako smiled at him. "Now are you ready to show our child to the world?"

"More than."

* * *

AN: Wow, so that took why longer to update and write than I had hoped. Finals are my excuse for taking so long to finish this, and they are a reasonable excuse. I also have to tell you that this story didn't turn out anything like I thought it would. My first plan was to start skipping years into the future into Minato's time and saving Obito and preventing Tobi. Then Biwako came up and I follow tangents like nothing else when I'm writing so I just went with it. (Not sorry)

I kind of got back to the point of the story at one point I hope. I did kill Madara which would prevent the Obito/Tobi/Fourth Shinobi war from happening. I also stopped the First shinobi war, or at least postponed it because _really?_ of course ninja's are going to fight and kill each other, it's in their job description.

Gah, someone told me last chapter was really preachy and i kind of have to agree. This chapter is also kind of preachy, I hope you don't mind too much. I figure everyone can write at least one preachy story, right?

I don't know what I was thinking. I kind of wanted to give you this for a holiday present, but I'm not sure I would even want it for a present.

Nevertheless, I kind of like it for what it is and I hope you do too.

~Rain

PS: I'm a terrible writer and I'm sorry for all of the pain and suffering this story has put you through. You should stop reading now.

EDIT: In the rush to finish this last night I didn't do much in the way of proof reading, so I've done that now. I've also marked as completed because I forgot to and it is.


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